Power Transcendent
by Physics Queen
Summary: To transcend is to surpass one's limitations and become more than one once was. For one new enemy, this means freedom. For another, this means ultimate power. For Aino Minako, it means a chance to embrace her true nature. Shoujoai, unfinished
1. Chapter 1

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

(None of the characters of Sailormoon belong to me, nor do I receive any profit from my use of them. So there)  
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Chapter 1

Minako sighed very deeply as she leaned back against a tree, her eyes closed. She smiled dreamily as the summer sun played with the shadows of leaves across her face. Everything seemed so peaceful and serene...

"But Mako-chan...!" Minako nearly jumped out of her skin at Usagi's strident, whining exclamation. Opening her eyes, she saw three of her friends and fellow Senshi, Usagi, Makoto and Ami. Ami was sitting on a bench across from Minako, engrossed in a book. Minako ruefully wished for her concentration as she looked at the other two sitting next to her, Usagi holding a pitifully empty lunch bag and looking lustfully at Makoto's beautifully prepared meal.

"Usagi-chan...this would be the third time I've had to share my lunch with you this week!" Makoto protested. "I get hungry too, you know?"

"And she's being very generous by using the word 'share.'" Ami noted absently as she turned a page. "You tend to eat most of it."

Usagi pouted. "But it's not my fault! I just wake up too late for breakfast and I just have to eat my lunch in class." She sniffed. "But then I don't have anything for lunch...and I get so hungry..."

Makoto sighed the sigh of the long-suffering and food-deprived as she allowed Usagi to take a few morsels from her lunch. "I don't see how any of that isn't your fault, but..."

Minako coughed gently and everyone glanced over at her. "You know Usagi-chan, the eye of the beholder is always bigger than your stomach." She said chidingly. Everyone simply gave her a look for a long moment. She shrugged. "Hey, it's true!"

Undaunted, she reached into her own lunch, blinking as her fingers brushed a folded piece of paper that she hadn't placed there. She drew it out surreptitiously and glanced down at it, sure that it was a letter from one of her many secret admirers, but wanting to make certain before she began showing off.

Minako...please come to my apartment after school today. I have something very important to ask you. But please, please don't tell anyone.

Ami.

The Senshi of Love glanced up. Sure enough, Ami was looking at her, a worried expression on her face. As soon as she realized she'd been spotted, her eyes darted back to her book, but a small pink flush remained on her cheeks.

"Hey, what's that?" Makoto asked, finally digging into her own lunch. She had managed to save about half from the voracious Moon Princess.

Usagi looked over as well. "Oooooh! I bet it's a letter from a secret admirer!" She purred. "Let me see!" She reached out for the paper. Out of the corner of her eye, Minako noticed Ami's fingers tightening around her book. Minako snatched it back and shoved it into her bag.

"Not so fast!" She said teasingly. "This admirer wants to remain a secret, and, as the Goddess of Love, it's my duty to respect his wishes!"

Usagi pouted. "You've never kept any of the others secret."

Minako winked. "This one's different."

Usagi pouted a little more, but quickly cheered up when she managed to get a couple more sympathy bites from Makoto. The rest of the day passed slowly for Minako, her mind filled with theories about her secret meeting with Ami. Of course, as she was leaving school, having said goodbye to her friends, she had to admit the answer was obvious.

"Ami-chan's in love!" She said to herself, taking a long way around to Ami's apartment building. She did want to keep her friend's secret, so she didn't want anyone noticing where she was headed. "That has to be it...and this proves she's a genius, coming to me for help!" She sighed theatrically. "It's a hard burden, always being sought out for romantic advice. But I guess that's just the way it has to be...I mean, who else could the poor thing possibly go to?"

Ami buzzed her in as soon as she reached the building and Minako tried to think up sage words of advice for any possible scenario the Senshi of Water might have gotten herself into as the elevator climbed to the penthouse. She smiled cheerfully as Ami let her in, determined not to let the other girl know she had figured out her secret. It would be much better for her to tell Minako herself. "So, how's your mom?" She asked conversationally as she sank into the plush sofa in the living room.

"Oh...Mother's at the hospital...she'll be there until late tonight..." Ami said nervously, sitting across from Minako. She shifted around a little bit. "Minako-chan..." She said softly.

This was it...Minako sat up, looking attentive but not overwhelming, she hoped. "Yes, Ami-chan?"

Ami started to speak several times, but stopped herself. Finally she took a deep breath. "I'll never be able to say it...here..." Her cheeks red, Ami looked down at the table between the two as she held out a piece of paper. Now slightly confused, Minako took it and looked down at what she held.

When her eyes took in what was on the paper, the Senshi of Love released it as if it burned her. It drifted gently down to the surface of the table, Minako still staring at it in disbelief. Ami continued to stare intently at nothing in particular.

PRACTICE ENGLISH EXAM

STUDENT: Mizuno Ami

SCORE: 78/100

Minako finally found her voice. "A 78?" She looked at her friend, stunned. "You...you got a 78? On a TEST?"

Ami bit her lip, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Minako mentally berated herself for being so shocked. Ami's studies meant so much to her, and Minako's reaction couldn't have helped at all. "Hey...it's okay..." She said more gently. "I mean, 78...it's almost a B!"

"I've never gotten a B in my entire life, let alone a C." Ami said miserably. "But I've just been so busy this semester with my other subjects, and Senshi business, and helping all of you study..."

Minako winced. "I'm sorry Ami...if we were messing you up, you should have said something!"

Ami smiled a bit and shook her head, looking up at Minako for the first time. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "No, no! I love helping you all...it's one of my favorite things, it really is!" She said earnestly. "And I can't imagine what would happen to you and Usagi without me to help you study!"

Minako grinned a bit and rubbed the back of her head. "Ami-chan...you didn't have to say it like that..."

"Like what?"

"Never mind."

Ami smiled again, with a little more feeling. "Besides, it's only a practice exam from cram school...the real thing won't be for a couple of weeks." She blushed. "Actually, that's really why I asked you over..."

It took a couple of moments for that to sink in. "You want me to tutor you?" She smiled at Ami's tentative nod. "Wow...that's sort of unusual, isn't it?" She giggled. "Sure, I can do that."

Ami smiled, relieved. "Great! Just...please don't tell the others." She looked embarrassed. "I know it's just a silly practice test, but..."

Minako cut her off with a huge smile and a V hand signal. "Hey, don't worry about it! My lips are sealed." Minako had always been a little worried for the shyest of the Sailor Senshi's self-esteem, and she had no intention of doing anything that would hurt Ami's pride.

Ami whipped out a day planner and laid it open on the table. "Now when should we do this? I have cram school and of course there's the usual studying with the others...it will be hard, but I'd like to get as much work in as possible..." The short-haired girl continued planning rapidly, with only the occasional input from Minako.

What have I gotten myself into? Minako wondered, a little dazed by Ami's implacable efficiency. She glanced up at the other girl's face, noting absently the rather cute way her eyebrows were drawn together in concentration as her fingers danced the pen over the planner. Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend a little more time alone with her.

That was a rather odd thought, and Minako would have looked at it a little more closely, but at that moment the communicators around both girls' wrists crackled to life, a familiar voice sounding out in tinny stereo. "This is Jupiter! There's a youma attacking the crowd in front of the bookstore near the arcade. Mars and I are keeping it busy, but we need help!" As she spoke, the words "Burning Mandala!" sounded out faintly behind her, followed by a whoosh and a muffled screech.

Minako frowned. "This is Venus. I have Mercury with me. We're on our way." Both girls stood up and rushed towards the door.

As they rushed to the elevators, the communicator came on again, this time to the sound of a snore that was shortly cut off by a squeak of pain. "Luna here...don't worry, she'll be there soon." As the elevator descended, Minako and Ami gave each other a quick smile. When it reached ground floor, the two pelted out of the building and ducked behind it. Finally away from any prying eyes, it was time.

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

Transformed, the Senshi dashed off. The screams of terror and fleeing crowds made the location of the attack easy enough to find, even they hadn't known where they were going. They turned the corner to find the street in front of the bookstore was a war zone. Quite a few people were still there, immobile statues covered in a thick, inky liquid. Jupiter was standing in the middle of the street, lightning crackling around her as she launched an attack towards the youma, a massive black spider streaked with green with a humanoid torso clad in chitinous armor that matched its markings. It was battered and even smoking from a couple of places, showing damage from the battle thus far.

It rushed towards Jupiter, who was also a bit the worse for wear, dancing nimbly out of the way of the streaking electricity while a stream of the black goo jetted from its mouth towards the Senshi. Jupiter rolled out of the way as well, and the youma skidded to halt and turned just as Jupiter climbed to her feet.

"Where's Mars?" Mercury asked worriedly, peering at the street below.

"I can't see her." Venus replied. "But we're not finding out up here. Let's go!" She ran over and leapt on top of a nearby car. "Hey, Youma!" The spider lifted its head to look at her, and Jupiter glanced behind her, a smile of relief on her face. "I can't allow you to destroy the peace in this city and harm these innocent people! I am Sailor Venus! Prepare to be punished in the name of Venus!"

The spider stared at her for a moment, then leapt high into the air, coming down onto the hood of the car Venus was standing on, crushing the vehicle and sending the Senshi of love flying. "I am the daeva Spinne." It said in a guttural hiss, turning to where Sailor Venus lay sprawled on the pavement. "Prepare yourself."

"SHABON SPRAY!" Mercury had been just a step behind Venus and had waited patiently for the right moment. Cold mist filled the area, but Venus could just make out the silhouette of the daeva. That was enough.

"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" The golden, heart-shaped links streaked out towards the creature in the mists. When the air cleared an instant later, Spinne had fallen on its side, its spider's legs bound tightly in the chain. It struggled, but was unable to reach its hands down far enough to free itself.

"Remember me?" A voice from above said. On the roof of the bookstore, looking rather battered herself, was Sailor Mars, smirking. The creature froze for a moment, sensing the sudden onset of doom. On the street, Jupiter was smiling as well.

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

The flaming arrow streaked towards the daeva, meeting the lightning halfway and bonding with it, detonating in a ball of fire and thunder when it made contact. Spinne shrieked as it took the full force of the combined attack, and continued to shriek as the flames faded. Black energy crackled around its singed and cracked carapace for a moment, then it seemed to somehow implode, falling into itself in an instant. And the daeva was gone.

Sailor Moon ran up an instant later, just as the black goo began to slough off the trapped humans, evaporating the instant it touched the ground. The people fell after being freed, but immediately began struggling to their feet. "Is the fight over?" Sailor Moon asked, surprised.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Mars said, leaping from the roof to the sidewalk below. Sailor Moon stuck her tongue out at her.

"We'd better go." Mercury said, looking at the people beginning to gather. That seemed like a good idea, so the Inner Senshi dashed off down a side street before anybody really noticed them.

-------------------

In a dark cavern, illuminated only by the flickering light of an orb in the center of it, a figure stared into that light. He was tall, pale and handsome, and his waist length hair was a dark shade of midnight blue that had an almost metallic glint in the pale light. He wore a long robe, colored a shade of blue very similar to that of his hair. A saber was at belted at his side in a golden scabbard. His face betrayed no emotion save a hint of irritation.

The orb's surface was displaying the last few moments of the fight between the Inner Senshi and Spinne. The figure frowned slightly as Spinne met its end, and two other figures entered the cavern at the same moment. The orb began playing the image of the fight from the beginning once again.

"You see Lady Meson?" One said in an irritated tone. "It's as I said...he sent a daeva to earth without permission and now look! It's been defeated. A breach of security and a waste of resources like this cannot..." He fell silent as the other lifted her hand.

"Enough Gluon." Meson stepped close to the orb and into the light. She was a picture of contrasts. Tall and slender, she walked with the deliberate grace of an assassin. Her costume hugged her form tightly, a bodysuit of some unreflective white material. It came down her arms, tapering off as it reached over her hands. It had a diamond shaped cut in the center of the torso, revealing an expanse of dusky skin. The shoulder plates were white as well, each a sharp, three-tiered triangle. A long, inky black cape hung from these plates, shimmering in the light. Her beautiful, dark face was set in a cruel smile, and her snow-white hair swept behind her head in a series of spikes. A symbol was tattooed on her forehead, three red disks arranged in a triangle, bound by fiery lines.

She joined the other in watching the end of the fight play out. "Well Muon?" She asked in a brusque, no-nonsense tone. "What have you discovered?"

"This was unsatisfactory." The other finally said in a voice of deep velvet. He gestured, and the orb flashed images of Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter. "These were the only ones who actually fought." An image of Sailor Moon appeared. "She arrived late...we never saw her powers." A final gesture, and the images vanished, leaving only the orb glowing with a sickly greenish light.

"As I said...unsatisfactory. There are ten of these warriors, these Sailor Senshi. Spinne failed to provide me even a glimpse of the other five."

Meson nodded. "Nevertheless...we now know that they are powerful...for only four to take a daeva..."

Muon made a noncommittal sound. "That knowledge is of use to you, not me. At any rate, we certainly knew that already. Many have fallen to these Senshi in the past. Thus far, I have seen nothing that warrants my attention."

Meson smiled slightly. "I'm certain that you'll find something. After all, Tachyon did say that you would make your greatest discovery upon this world. And she has never been wrong."

Muon turned to leave, his robe swirling about him as he faded into the shadows. "I hope for the sake of your master that the child is correct here as well...we have had a fruitful alliance, Hadron and I. I would hate to see it end because he has wasted my time."

After the sound of Muon's footsteps had faded into echoes, Gluon joined his mistress in the light. Shorter than the other two, he was dressed far more simply than Meson. A simple green sleeveless shirt with a pair of black pants and boots, with a green streak of fire on the side of each leg. Around his neck was a golden pendant that bore the same symbol as that on Meson's forehead. His hair, a deep and vivid green, hung freely down to his shoulders. "Lady Meson..." He began.

"Yes, Gluon?" Meson replied, still looking into the orb.

"I don't understand why Lord Hadron insisted that he come...he has no loyalty to you or Lord Hadron, or to anyone else. He is...unpredictable, and that makes him a danger to our plans."

Meson smiled a bit. "How little you understand him, Gluon. Muon is in fact very predictable...he feels nothing except curiosity. His life is devoted solely to the satisfaction of that curiosity. He will do anything our Lord asks of him, without regret or pause, because despite what he said, he believes in Tachyon's prediction. It has always been like this...he lends his considerable power and brilliant mind to Lord Hadron's conquest, and in return we preserve whatever Muon deems worth studying. He isn't loyal, true. But he is reliable and logical." She turned towards Gluon, a dangerous smile on her face as she stepped towards him. Gluon looked a bit shaken, but made no move.

"In that sense, I trust in him far more than you." Meson followed Muon's path into the shadows of the cave, her voice fading gradually as she walked.

"Prepare your minions Gluon...you will take charge of the initial phases of the invasion. You will be responsible for seeing the Sailor Senshi do not threaten our plans. You know what I expect...don't fail me." Those last words echoed in the darkness. Gluon looked after her for a long moment.

"Muon." He finally whispered, and he clenched his fist.

-------------------

A general meeting of Sailor Senshi seemed to be in order, and that evening they gathered in Mamoru's apartment. Michiru and Haruka were out of town for the week, but all the rest came to discuss the sudden attack.

"So what did it do when it appeared Rei?" Mamoru asked, standing in the doorway to his kitchen.

Rei shrugged a bit. "Nothing really...it just started shrieking and spitting that black stuff over everyone it could. There didn't seem to really be any kind of plan behind it at all. Just usual youma...daeva...stuff."

Setsuna was sitting in an armchair, a lightly dozing Hotaru in her lap. She glanced up at Rei's comment. "Doesn't that seem odd?" Everyone turned to look at her. "How many monsters, of any kind, have appeared that didn't have any kind of plan at all? This one appeared intelligent, too intelligent to indulge in this kind of random desruction."

"Don't you know Puu?" Chibi-usa asked. She was sitting on the floor next to the chair. "I know you couldn't tell us much...but you should know something, right?"

The Guardian of Time frowned slightly. "No...I don't know anything." She closed her eyes. "There's...nothing about any of this in the timeline. A few little ripples...but absolutely nothing that would suggest any kind of danger." She winced and opened her eyes. "Paradox gives me a headache."

Makoto frowned. "What do you mean?"

Setsuna looked even more serious than usual. "When Pharaoh 90 and the Death Busters attacked, my vision was clouded because they came from outside of the usual timeline. This is different...I still can't see this afternoon's attack on the timeline. All I see is a peaceful, very ordinary day. Somehow these events have been masked from the rest of causality."

"Could you do that?" Ami asked.

Setsuna nodded. "It's an abuse of power, and sort of dangerous, but I could do it. Only someone who can perceive and manipulate the timeline could."

"So whoever's behind this..." Ami's eyes widened as Setsuna nodded.

"Has powers like mine." Everyone was silent for a moment as that fact sunk in. Usagi was the first one to speak up.

"Hey, let's not get all depressed already!" She smiled. "Maybe Spinne was it...there's been random monsters before, after all."

Mamoru was shaking his head. "I'm not so sure, Usako." He said. "It was intelligent, so we have to assume it had a plan." He thought for a moment, a pensive look on his face. "If a monster shows up in town, and just starts making a lot of noise and attacking random people, what happens?"

"We show up and kick some tail!" Makoto replied instantly. She blinked and started. "It wanted us to show up!"

Ami nodded. "I agree...someone sent it to draw us out...maybe just to see what we were capable of." She thought for a moment. "So thinking about it that way, I suppose we didn't fall right into the trap. Only four of us fought, and only five of us were there. They can't know what we can really do."

Makoto clenched her fist. "Sending your servant to get killed for something like that is pretty low, even for a monster."

Rei stood up. "Well, I have to head back to the Shrine...and I'm going to do a fire reading." She smiled. "Maybe I can see something even if Setsuna can't."

Setsuna smiled at that. "I hope so." She said, in a voice that wasn't too hopeful at all.

Makoto yawned. "In that case, I'm going too." She smiled. "I'm still a little wiped out from this afternoon."

Usagi bounced up and leaned against Mamoru. "Can I stay a bit longer Mamo-chan?" She asked, blushing softly.

Mamoru smiled. "Of course..."

"Can I stay too?" Chibi-usa interrupted. Usagi bristled.

"No you can't...!" Mamoru squeezed her shoulder lightly and Usagi coughed and closed her eyes. "Why don't you stay at Hotaru's house tonight?"

Chibi-usa smiled up at Setsuna. "Can I Puu? Please?"

"Of course." She replied, with a look of quiet amusement.

Ami started chatting with Mamoru and Usagi, and Minako slipped out with Setsuna and her entourage. Stepping into the elevator, Minako rocked back on her heels, smiling as she listened to the chatter of the two young girls. When they reached ground level, Minako noticed Setsuna giving her a mysterious little smile. She tilted her head curiously in return, and the Guardian of Time just shook her head.

"Do you need a ride home?" She asked.

"No, but thanks. I think I'd rather walk."

Setsuna nodded, as if she had just confirmed something. "Walk slowly." She advised, before saying goodbye and heading off towards the parking garage. Minako shrugged and headed down the street towards home, taking a little extra time to notice her surroundings. When Sailor Pluto gave advice, it tended to pay to listen.

After a block or so, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind, quickly. She turned and saw Ami jogging towards her, waving. Minako waved back and waited.

"I thought I could catch you!" Ami said, breathing heavily as she reached her friend.

"I guess you were right!" Minako grinned. "What can I do for you, Ami-chan?"

They began walking again, and Ami smiled brightly at Minako. "I just realized I never really had a chance to thank you." She blushed. "It was really hard for me to ask for help studying...thank you for being so kind."

Minako smiled back. "Don't be silly Ami-chan...we're friends, aren't we? Besides, we've never spent a lot of time alone together...it'll be fun!"

Ami covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "It will!" Her steps slowed as they reached the next corner and Minako followed suit. "Well, goodnight Minako-chan...I'll see you tomorrow."

Minako nodded. "Sure...but I was going to get some dinner at the little restaurant down the street from here...want to join me?"

"Well, I would but I have to study a little bit...I have a couple of practice English exams back home and I wanted to..." She made a tiny sound of surprise as Minako grabbed her wrist and started pulling her down the street.

"Oh, no! No English tonight!" Minako declared. "If I'm going to study with you, you have to not study with me." She smiled back at Ami. "Fair trade, right?"

Ami had regained her footing and was following along at her friend's brisk pace. She smiled back, still looking a bit dazed from her sudden change of plans. "I guess that's fair..." Minako slowed down to a more reasonable pace.

When they reached the restaurant, a charming little American-style cafe, the greeter gave them a very strange look for a moment, then smiled and told them they could sit where they liked. As they walked towards a corner booth, Minako said quietly, "I wonder what her problem was..."

"I'm not sure, but...oh!" Ami suddenly stopped and covered her mouth, laughing quietly. Minako looked at her oddly.

"Ami-chan? Are you alright?"

"I will be...as soon as you let me go." Minako's eye dropped to her hand, still holding Ami's other wrist loosely. She released it, blushing. "I'm sorry! I forgot!"

Ami was still laughing. "It's okay, it's okay...well, I guess that explains the funny look."

"Yeah..." Minako rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. They found a booth near the corner and sat. In a moment, a waiter walked over with a couple of menus.

"May I get either of you something to drink?"

Minako picked up her menu and ran her eyes across it. As she did so, she heard Ami say, "I'll just have an iced tea. What would you like...darling?" Minako did a double-take and looked across the table. Ami was looking at her, just a tiny smile on her face, but her eyes were shining with mirth. Minako was overcome with shock for a moment, but quickly decided not to be outdone.

"Oh, tea sounds nice...in fact..." She looked up at the waiter with a sweet smile. "Why don't you just bring us a large glass with two straws?" The waiter, perhaps a bit more cosmopolitan than the greeter, just smiled and withdrew. As soon as he was out of sight, Ami and Minako held their menus up in front of their faces, shaking with silent laughter. "I almost choked when you called me darling!" Minako whispered, tears of laughter forming in her eyes.

"I know!" Ami agreed, almost squeaking as she talked. "I hope he didn't notice...you looked like someone hit you in the head with a board for a moment!"

Minako carefully wiped her eyes, still breaking into a fit of giggles every few seconds. "Well, how was I supposed to know you had a sense of humor like that!" Ami's smile suddenly melted off her face and she became intently interested in her menu. An awkward silence fell over the table, and Minako instantly knew she said the wrong thing.

Just as she was getting ready to speak up, the waiter returned with a large glass and a pitcher of iced tea, along with two straws. "Are you ready to order?" He asked pleasantly.

"We...need just a minute." Minako replied. The waiter, sensing the sudden change in the vibe of the table, nodded and walked off.

Minako was quiet for a long moment, the only sound the clinking of ice cubes as she moved the glass in a little circle. "Ami-chan...I didn't mean that like it sounded...I know you have a sense of humor...it's just that..."

"I don't really play jokes much. I know." Ami said softly, still staring at her menu. "And maybe it's silly to let it get to me like that...but I really don't like everyone to think of me as just a smart, mousey little bookworm."

"Ami-chan..." Minako leaned forward earnestly. "I promise, I've never thought of you like that!" Ami lifted an eyebrow and Minako blushed. "Okay...maybe at the very beginning, when we just met...but I didn't know you, and you get so quiet around people you don't know. But I know better now...you're smart, but you're sensitive and artistic and kind and one of the bravest people I know." She chuckled slightly. "I hate to think what you all must have thought of me when we first met."

Ami looked up and smiled. "Oh, we were all starstruck. You were Sailor V, you know. Usagi was the most blatant about the hero worship, but we all felt it a little."

"Even you?"

"Even me." Ami looked back down at the menu, still smiling. "I had a little scrapbook of all the newspaper articles about you I could find...part of it was because I thought you had to be the princess...or at least connected with us somehow. But a lot of it was just because I thought you were really cool."

Minako felt her face flaming and she suddenly developed a deep fascination with her own menu. She hadn't really been expecting that, and it made her feel terribly self-conscious. "So...um...what made you decide to start the joke with the waiter, anyway?" She fumbled.

"You, of course." Minako blushed even deeper. Ami covered her mouth with her hand. She knew she was embarrassing her friend, but she wanted to tell her the truth. -And maybe it'll make the foot in her mouth go down easier.- She thought. "It's true...I don't feel nearly as shy whenever I'm around you. You just bring people out of their shells, it's the way you are. You and Usagi are a lot alike in that."

Minako smiled through her blush. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the waiter returning. She snatched her straw, pulled off the wrapper and began drinking. She glanced up at Ami and twitched her eyebrows over in the direction the waiter was coming from. Ami giggled softly and followed suit.

The waiter came back to the table, glad to see whatever trouble there had been was gone now. The two girls were sitting closer, both sipping from their straws and looking into each other's eyes. The blonde one had a little flush in her cheeks and both were smiling around the straws. He felt very happy for them indeed. Happy couples always left better tips.

Minako was enjoying herself immensely...pulling this on the waiting staff here was kind of juvenile, but that worked for her on multiple levels. It was just too funny! Ami really did have pretty eyes too...she'd never had a chance to look at them this closely. They were like icy pools of snowmelt in winter...cool and pure and beautiful. She woke from her little zone-out with a jerk when she realized the waiter had returned and was asking for their order. Ami smiled at her softly.

After they had ordered, Minako smiled at her friend. "So you forgive me?" She asked softly.

Ami smiled back. "Of course Minako-chan...sorry I overreacted."

"Don't be!" Minako bonked her knuckles against the side of her head. "I can be such a ditz sometimes." She winked, and Ami laughed gently.

The rest of the meal passed with simpler conversation and overt displays of affection whenever anyone glanced their way. When they stood to leave, Minako stepped close and placed her head against Ami's shoulder, and Ami slid her arm around the other's waist. Somehow, they managed to keep from breaking into laughter until they had left the diner.

Minako leaned over, pressing her hands against her knees as tears fell down her cheeks. "Oh, that was so much fun!"

"Yes it was!" Ami agreed, leaning against a wall covering her mouth as she laughed.

"Thanks for thinking of it." Minako grinned up at the Senshi of Water, giving her a playful wink.

Ami smiled and blushed. "Thanks for being around...I wouldn't have been brave enough to try that with anyone else." She stood straight and yawned a bit. "Well, I really have to get home now...Mother will start worrying about me."

Minako made a sour face. "Yeah...mine will be worried about me too...or at least waiting around to scold me about being late." She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course!" Ami walked down in the direction of her building and waved goodbye. Waving back, Minako walked in the opposite direction towards her home.

-------------------

A short time later, Minako was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The only sound was her own soft breath and the purring snores of Artemis, sleeping curled at the foot of the bed. Her mother, thankfully, had already been asleep when she got home. Minako didn't think she had the energy to deal with her given the stress of the day in general.

She sighed deeply. This was the sort of time she hated...she was too wound up to sleep, but she didn't have the energy to stop her mind from wandering.

-So I bring people out of their shells?- She thought to herself. -That's sort of funny.- The truth was, she'd never really gotten out of her own. But she didn't know how to be any other way. First as Sailor V, now as the leader of the Inner Senshi, she had to be a little apart from everyone. She had her duty...there was always that, ever since she'd transformed for the first time.

Was she happy? She was, she really was, all things considered. Her buoyant, energetic front wasn't really a front, at least not for the most part. She smirked at the thought. In public, the way she acted was the way she would act if she were free to act as she wished. A twisted thought, but it was true. If she were free, she'd really be her public persona. If she wasn't a Sailor Senshi.

Not that she wanted to quit...in the past, from time to time, she had thought about it...even really wanted to. But she couldn't. Not just because of a sense of duty to a kingdom long destroyed, but because she couldn't live with the guilt of not fighting when she knew that she could. It just wasn't in her nature.

Rolling over on her side, she continued to think. She was just lonely, that was the real problem. The others, they were her best friends, they would always be there for her, and she would always be there for them. But she still had to hold them at arm's length to a degree. She didn't know any other way. In all honestly, not a day went by that she could look back and really decide how much of what she did was really her, and how much was just an act...the mask was so close it was getting mixed up with her real identity.

She closed her eyes and let out a muffled chuckle as she remembered the restaurant. No ambiguity there, that was all her. Ami's out of character behavior had caught her totally off guard. She never had time to slip behind the front. And it was fun...maybe the funniest thing she'd done in weeks.

Ami...so, Minako brought the shy little senshi out of her shell, huh? And in return, Minako got shocked out of hers. Minako smiled as she snuggled down, finally ready to sleep. Spending more time with Ami really should be fun, she decided. It had been an interesting day. There was a new enemy, but for the time being that could only be dealt with as events unfolded. Right now, she was just going to be happy and go to sleep. And as she drifted off, the last thing she thought of was a cute furrowed brow, and eyes like cool winter pools.


	2. Chapter 2

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

(None of the characters of Sailormoon belong to me, nor do I receive any profit by using them. So there)  
-  
Chapter 2

Ami rang the bell on Minako's front door and waited patiently. A second or so later, Artemis jumped from the balcony above, landing lightly on her shoulders and twining around her neck before hopping into the proffered crook of her arm.

"Good morning Artemis!" Ami said, smiling. "How is she?"

"On time, believe it or not!" The white cat replied. "She'll be down in a second. I gotta wonder what you did to her. I mean, this is the second day in a row she's woken up on her own...that's a first for this year!"

A ball of paper sailed out from the balcony above and astoundingly connected with Artemis' skull. "I heard that!" Minako said indignantly. She leaned out over the balcony, smiling and waving. "I'll be right there, Ami-chan!" Ami nodded and waved back.

It had been three days since Minako had agreed to help Ami study. On the first day, Ami had suggested that since they lived fairly close she wouldn't mind going a little out of her way to meet her in the morning. That way, they could walk to school together, and decide what they would do that day. Minako smiled ruefully at her reflection in the mirror. When she had agreed to help her friend, she didn't know it would be a daily event.

She normally found studying to be such a chore, so the happiness with which she skipped downstairs was a little surprising to her. She did have to admit, helping Ami study was a lot more interesting that she thought it was going to be. She found herself in awe of the speed with which Ami processed information, stored it and came back with questions that sometimes Minako, the supposed expert, had no answers to. How was she supposed to know what syntax was?

They were helping each other learn, Minako had finally realized. She knew how to speak English, but now she was even learning how the language worked. Again, a lot more interesting than she would have guessed. So there was that. But that wasn't all of it...

She opened the door and her smile widened as she saw Ami standing there. "Good morning Ami-chan!"

"Good morning Minako-chan." She replied. "Ready?"

"You betcha." Artemis hopped out of Ami's arm and began to walk inside. "Wait a second Artemis." Minako said coldly. The cat stopped, not looking back. "Since you're so impressed with my lack of laziness, why don't you go over to Usagi's house and help Luna think up some ideas about how to deal with the enemy?"

Artemis began to groan but Minako cut him off. "Go, cat! A rolling stone's worth two in the bush, remember?"

Grumbling, Artemis hopped out of the yard in the vague direction of Usagi's house. Minako grinned and winked at Ami, who giggled softly in return.

The two of them set out for school. Minako really enjoyed this development. Her home was just a little out of the way of all of the others, so more often than not she found herself walking to high school alone, at least for part of the way. It was a nice feeling to start out with a companion for a change.

"So, Ami-chan..." She said after they'd been walking for a little while.

"Yes?"

"You don't have cram school today, so I was thinking that you and I could head to the park after school and study there."

Ami smiled broadly and nodded. "That's a wonderful idea! It's such a beautiful day today." She looked over at Minako curiously. "Did what I showed you last night help with your math homework, by the way?"

"Of course!" Minako waved her hand. "How could you have any doubts? You're a great teacher, Ami-chan." Ami smiled and turned her eyes back to the street.

"How do you think Rei's doing?" The Senshi of Water asked after a moment. "She looked so tired yesterday."

Minako made a small humming sound. "I don't know...I hope she slept tonight." Rei had met with little success in trying to find out something about their new enemy through the sacred fire, and it was beginning to tell. She was staying up all night, trying to find out something, anything that could help them. And, as with Setsuna, beyond a few half-seen images and sensations, she was getting nothing.

"Anyway, I'm not going to try to tell her to rest." Minako continued. "She nearly killed Usagi yesterday...I think I'll wait until she's too tired to fight back."

Ami laughed softly. "You're terrible, Minako-chan." Minako made a semi-ferocious growling sound in return, making Ami laugh even harder. It occured to Minako that Ami didn't really laugh all that often, and that was a shame. It was such a sweet-sounding laugh. "Anyway," The blue haired girl continued, "Even if we can't make her rest, we can still show her some support, right? Maybe we could visit her after we're done studying in the part? The Shrine is right near there."

"That's not a bad idea." Minako agreed. "Rei gets a little obsessive sometimes."

The two parted ways when they got to school, as they had a different homeroom. School seemed to drag on particularly slowly for Minako today...she was far too eager to meet Ami and head for the park. She chewed her eraser and gazed out the window, the voice of her math teacher fading into a distant hum. Minako was quietly amazed at how well she and Ami were getting along. Out of all of the Senshi, it had seemed to her that they would have the least in common.

But that wasn't true...yes, they had very different interests, and Ami was obviously far, far more intelligent than her blonde friend, but that was just one tiny part of each of their personalities. Ami was sweet and kind and brave...and she really had kind of a devilish sense of humor once she began to open up.

The memory of their dinner together three nights ago popped back into her head, and Minako giggled gently, wondering if the waiting staff there still talked about the two of them. "Aino-san." The teacher's sharp tone cut through her daydream and made her jump. She looked up. "Since you're finding my lesson so amusing, perhaps you could come up here and solve this equation."

Minako stood and looked at what he had written on the blackboard. -Isn't math supposed to have more numbers than letters?- She thought with a sense of dread that grew with each step she took towards it. -This can't end well.-

------------------

Rather late, the Goddess of Love passed through the school doors with a groan. She cast around desperately, finally spotting Ami leaning against the school gates, a gloomy expression on her face. Minako quickly stepped over to her and slung an arm around her shoulder, grinning. "Why so gloomy?"

Ami looked up at her, startled, but then gave her a small smile. "Minako-chan!" She said, sounding relieved. "I was starting to think...you had ditched me."

Minako felt a little hurt by that and tilted her head. "Of course not Ami-chan...the teacher kept me after for a little while." She smiled and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess I was sort of daydreaming during math class."

"Oh..." Ami smiled a bit more genuinely. "What about?"

"Um...nothing important..." Minako said, feeling a blush climbing into her cheeks. -That's weird...why am I so embarrassed?- She thought. "Anyway..." She continued hurriedly. "We'd better head to the park if we're going to study and still have time to visit Rei-chan."

Ami checked her watch and her eyes widened. "You're right!" She immediately started down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, and Minako scrambled to keep up. When they reached the park, Ami walked towards the nearest bench, but Minako lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know a better place." Minako led her towards the lake. There was a small spot, a little wedge-shaped piece of land that lay between two hills right on the shore, so it was hard to find unless you knew it was there. The bottom was covered in thick grass, but the sides of the hills were dotted with patches of daisies and irises.

Ami looked out at the lake and took a deep breath, breathing in the scent. She turned to Minako and smiled, and Minako was struck by how pretty her friend was, framed by the purple and white flowers behind her. "You're right...this is a better place." Ami agreed. They both knelt down and got out their books.

A while later, once they were finished, Minako laid back and rested her head on her open English book. Ami was sitting close by, her knees folded under her chin as she looked out at the water. "Ami-chan..." Ami turned her head to look at her. "Why did you think I ditched you?" She asked softly. Ami turned her head back out to the water. It was quiet for a long moment.

"It's not your fault." Ami finally said. "I just start thinking that way, sometimes."

"Why?"

"I just...remember what it was like, before I became a Sailor Senshi. I didn't have any friends my own age, none at all. I was way too shy...and nobody wanted to be friends with a stuck-up bookworm like me." She tossed a small pebble into the water with a 'plip.' "At least, that's what I heard all the other kids saying about me."

"But you're not a stuck-up bookworm, Ami-chan." Minako said softly, but seriously, turning to lay on her side, her head propped up on her elbow. "You know that...and you know that I...that none of us...would ever treat you like that."

Ami didn't turn, but Minako could sort of feel the sad little smile that was on her face. "I know. But it's very hard to let yourself really, really open up when you've been closed for so long. I know you and the others are my true friends...but sometimes, when it's quiet and I'm all alone, the old walls start coming back up. I hate it, because it makes me feel guilty for even thinking that you would act that way."

Minako shifted position, seating herself just a few inches away from Ami, sitting in a way that mirrored the other senshi's. She felt very protective of her friend, suddenly, and had the sudden urge to wrap her arms around her, but she knew that would just embarrass the reserved girl. "I know exactly how you feel." She said, instead. She wasn't sure why, but she decided it was best not to explain.

The Senshi of Water glanced over at her and studied Minako's face for a moment. Ami smiled and nodded, then turned back to the lake, a small pink flush on her cheeks. "I'm glad." She said simply. The two girls stayed that way for several minutes, not a word passing between them as they enjoyed the other's presence.

It was only when Ami noticed how pink the water was becoming that she finally broke the silence. "We should go see Rei." She finally said.

Minako nodded and stood, straightening her skirt. "Yeah." She agreed. The two left their little nook, still not saying anything. Minako felt that words would spoil what had happened, even though she felt an excitement building inside of her. Something had changed just now, but she wasn't at all sure what it was. She wondered if Ami felt it as well.

------------------

Twilight had fallen as Minako and Ami climbed the stairs up to the Hikawa Shrine. Yuichirou and Rei's grandfather were sweeping the courtyard, and they both looked up and smiled as they saw the girls approach.

"Hi you two!" Rei's grandfather beamed as he waved. Minako waved back.

"We've come to see Rei, how is she?"

"Oh, she's home sick today...she's been spending way too much time in front of the fire again." The tiny old man made a sour face. "And like always, she won't confide in her own grandfather what's bothering her."

"Rei-san's resting in her room now." Yuichirou added. "Usagi and Makoto came by earlier, but I'm sure she won't mind seeing the two of you as well."

Ami smiled and bowed politely. "Thank you...we won't keep her long."

When they knocked lightly on the entrance to Rei's room, she replied with a very irritated "What?" They opened the screen to find the miko tossing about restlessly in bed. A bowl of soup stood at a table near her, quite cold and obviously untouched.

"How are you Rei-chan?" Ami asked politely.

"I'm FINE." Rei said sharply. "Despite what Ojii-chan says, I'm absolutely fine." Her haggard appearance and the black circles under her violet eyes told another story, however.

"You don't look fine at all." Ami told her crisply. "Have you gotten any sleep at all lately?"

"I took a nap this morning..." Rei muttered evasively.

"Did you take a nap, or did you pass out?" Ami returned. She was often the only one not intimidated by the Fire Senshi when she was in a bad mood, a trait which never failed to impress Minako.

Rei sighed crossly. "I passed out, alright? But that's not important...I need to get back to the fire."

Minako tilted her head. "Did you find something out?" She asked.

Rei took a deep breath, and then let it out. "No..." She finally admitted. "Nothing useful. A few little flashes, but absolutely nothing we could use." She grumbled. "I've been talking to Setsuna, and she's seen the same things I have...but I didn't see anything at all last night. I think whoever's doing this is getting even better at hiding."

"What have the two of you seen?" Ami inquired, sitting at the foot of Rei's bed. Rei sighed again, passing a hand over her forehead, as if just trying to remember gave her a headache.

"A gold demon, covered in fire. Three red pillars tied together with red light. We each saw those once. But one thing we've both seen several times, whenever we try to get some hint of the future, is a little girl's face, laughing." She shook her head and pounded the sheet in frustration. "I know there's more! I just can't see any of it." She growled. Her eyes unfocused for a moment and she fell back against the bed.

Minako picked up a cloth from a bowl of water on the floor and rung it out, laying the cool, damp fabric on Rei's head. The fiery miko tried to look irritated, then gave up and just gave her a grateful look. "If you can't see anything more, stop trying." Minako admonished. "The enemy's going to attack again, and we need you. You're not doing your duty to the team by killing yourself like this."

Rei closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "You're right." She finally muttered.

"Of course I am!" Minako said brightly. Behind her, Ami covered her mouth to hide a giggle. Minako looked Rei over with a critical eye. "You still look pretty bad Rei-chan...I think I'll come by tomorrow and take care of you for a while."

Rei's eyes flew open. "No!" She almost shouted. "I mean...no...thank you." She smiled bravely. "I really just need to get some sleep..." She yawned dramatically. "I'll be fine."

Ami winked at Rei so Minako couldn't see and placed a hand on the blonde senshi's shoulder. "I think Rei-chan is right, Minako-chan...she really just needs some uninterrupted rest."

Minako smiled and nodded. "I think you're probably right." She stood and stretched. "Well, we'll let you sleep Rei-chan. Take care, okay?" She stepped lightly out of the room. Ami lingered for a moment.

"You'd better rest..." She whispered, with a light threat in her voice. "If you don't, I'll personally make sure that you get Nurse Minako's undivided attention."

Rei stuck her tongue out at her. "That's not fair." She said quietly, then smiled wanly. "You two have been together a lot these last couple of days, haven't you?"

Ami blushed softly, "Yes, I suppose we have."

"Any particular reason?"

"No...no...just...getting to know each other a little better." Ami managed to stutter out. She made for the door. "Try to get better, okay Rei-chan?"

"I will..." Minako closed the screen behind her, leaving a tired-looking miko with a curious and rather calculating look on her face.

"I heard that last part." Minako said as the two walked down the steps of the Shrine and down the street. "You really could tell all of them, you know...nobody would think any less of you."

"I know..." Ami said with a sigh. She smiled self-consciously. "It doesn't really have to do with that, though. I've never messed up my schoolwork like this before. And it really hurts my pride." She admitted. "So it's less about what they'll think of me, and more about...I'm not sure...just not wanting to think about it at all, I guess."

"I think I understand." Minako said, smiling.

"You always seem to understand." Ami said, lightly teasing. "Can't I be mysterious at all with you around?"

Minako closed her eyes and shrugged helplessly, grinning. "What can I say? As the Goddess of Love, I have an innate understanding of human nature." She sighed dramatically. "It's a heavy burden to bear, but what can I do?" She grinned. "Even if you lead a zebra to water, you'll never change her spots!"

Ami closed her eyes and smiled. "No, I suppose you won't."

The two made their way home. Slowly, because the night was still young, and neither one wanted to leave the other's company just yet.

------------------

Several miles away, in an opulent office on the top floor of a high-rise office building, a daeva stood waiting. Her body was sleek and smooth and utterly featureless, despite having the basic curvature of a female. She shone like quicksilver, and indeed, her body almost seemed to ripple like liquid as she moved. She had no hair, and her facial features consisted solely of two black holes for eyes, and a slit for a mouth.

At long last, the air before her began to pucker inwards, finally collapsing into a swirling black vortex. Gluon stepped through it, and it closed up behind him. The daeva bowed slightly at the waist. "Master Gluon." She said, her voice sounding vaguely musical, but also hollow, as if heard from a great distance. "Everything is as you wished it. The ten uppermost floors of this building belong to us, and the humans are none the wiser. In time, we may be able to take the entire building for our own."

Gluon toyed with the golden pendant around his neck as he surveyed his surroundings. "Good, but let's not worry about that for now...as long as the humans remain ignorant of our presence here, this should be a sufficient base of operations." He sat gracefully, leaning back in the leather chair resting his feet on the broad, polished surface of the desk.

"And what about the rest of our preparations, Gylax?"

"The portal system is acceptably stable...we can begin bringing in other daeva whenever you desire. We have selected several key sites in which to begin opening a permanent portal between this world and ours, and one device to do so is already here." Gylax concluded her report, leaving a pregnant pause behind.

"Was there something else?" Gluon asked, his hands folded behind his head and his eyes closed.

Gylax looked as nervous as her featureless face would allow. "Master Gluon...Muon is here as well." Gluon slammed his feet on the ground and his palms on the desk simultaneously as he sprang to his feet. Gylax cringed backwards a few steps. "He arrived several hours ago...he didn't speak to anyone. He...he's taken a suite of offices three floors down and barricaded himself inside."

Gluon turned and faced out. The windowed wall provided a breathtaking view of the nightscape of Tokyo. "Master Gluon?" Gylax finally asked hesitantly. "What should be done about Muon?"

Gluon sighed deeply, his fists clenched as he swallowed his anger. "Nothing...he has carte blanche from Lord Hadron, so there's nothing we can do." He turned back, a smug smile on his face. "Besides, this way I can keep an eye on him."

"Master?"

"I don't trust him...and I don't like him. If I can prove his unworthiness to Lord Hadron, my reward will be great indeed." He nodded. "Let him continue his 'research' but keep him under as close watch as you can without being obvious."

"Yes Master Gluon. And if he does discover something useful?"

Gluon laughed. "Then we'll take advantage of it first, and take the credit, of course. Either way, I win." He returned to the desk and leaned over, tenting his fingers below his chin. "Now...I assume you have a map of the areas you mentioned."

Gylax extended her hand and a three dimensional map of Tokyo appeared on the surface of the desk, a handful of sites shining red. The barrier between worlds was very thin in this city of Tokyo, making it the key location to Lord Hadron's conquest of this planet. Faultlines in the dimensional barrier could be identified, and devices could be set in place that would permanently join Earth with Hadron's other worlds. This had been done many times, long before Gluon had pledged himself to Lord Hadron. This pathetic blue orb would be no different.

"We make the first strike tomorrow." He said decisively.

"Tomorrow Master Gluon?" Gylax was surprised. "We have only the one device...if something should happen it would be days before..." Gluon cut her off with a chopping motion.

"You heard about Spinne." He said flatly. Gylax made no denial. "Spinne was weak, and Muon is a fool. As long as we move quickly, we can have the device in place before the Sailor Senshi even arrive. With Tachyon blocking us from scrying, they'll never be able to predict our attack. And you know as well as I that once one of those things are placed and activated, no force in existence can destroy or deactivate them."

He smiled cruelly. "As long as we move carefully and quickly, we may be able to open the portal before the Senshi truly understand what has happened to them." He smirked, speaking mostly to himself. "Though I hope one or two manage to show up...it's been too long since I've dealt with such attractive prey."

"Master?"

"Never mind." He surveyed the map, trying to decide which fault to attack first. One site in particular caught his eye. As he looked at it, a sense of...destiny...came over him. The more he looked at it, the more sure he was. Somehow, this location was meant to be attacked. "Here." He said, pointing. "We strike here, tomorrow." He looked up at his second. "Summon two daeva, and choose carefully. I don't want to take chances on our success."

Gylax bowed deeply, her liquid form twisting slightly as she did so. "Yes, my Master." Without another word, she collapsed into a silver puddle and streaked out of the room through the crack beneath the door.

Gluon remained, looking at the map and the building he had just doomed to destruction. His cheek rested in one hand and he lightly stroked the shimmering image with the other. "Osa-P Jewelry..." He mused. "You now belong to Lord Hadron."


	3. Chapter 3

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

(Do I have to keep saying it? Sailormoon...don't own it, don't get any money from it. Leave me alone)  
-  
Chapter 3

The next day was the weekend, and Usagi and Makoto both arrived at the Hikawa Shrine to see if Rei was feeling well enough to go out. They found the dark-haired girl lounging on the steps of the shrine, fully dressed and looking much better. The threat of Minako's tender care had been enough to convince her to get some much needed sleep.

"Hi guys!" Rei waved as they started up the steps.

"Well, you look a lot better!" Makoto said, smiling.

Rei made a face. "A little while after you two left Ami and Minako showed up. Ami laid a major guilt trip on me and Minako wanted to take care of me..." She shuddered. "I thought I should get better quickly."

Makoto smiled wanly. "That sounds like a good idea, Rei-chan." She made a small humming sound, looking thoughtful. "Minako and Ami, huh?"

Rei looked up intently. "Yeah...why do you sound like that?"

"Mako-chan tried calling Ami before we went over here, but her mother said that she and Minako had already gone out." Usagi chipped in. "They sure have been together a lot lately, haven't they?"

Rei was smiling mysteriously. "Yeah, they sure have."

Makoto looked suspiciously at Rei. "Do you know something, Rei-chan?"

Rei just continued to smile and shook her head. "Nothing...nothing at all." She kicked her legs out and wriggled her feet for a moment. "So, what are you two up to anyway?"

Usagi was oblivious to the change in subject, but Makoto looked like she still had questions. "We're going to the arcade and then we thought we'd have lunch and go shopping. Want to come?" Usagi asked.

Rei stood up and smiled. "Sure! I need a little change in scenery."

Usagi's communicator suddenly peeped up. "Usagi-chan!" Setsuna's voice came through urgently. Everyone stopped and frowned.

"Usagi here!" she replied. "What's the matter?"

Setsuna sounded as exasperated as anyone had ever heard her. "You promised that you would look after Hotaru and Chibi-Usa this afternoon, remember?"

Usagi winced and almost fell over. Makoto rubbed the back of her head and Rei just shook her head, muttering "Usagi-baka." Usagi shot her a dirty look.

"Oh..." Usagi said weakly. "Was that today?"

"Yes...Haruka and Michiru are still out of town, and quite frankly I need a break. Come get them immediately."

"Okay..." Usagi slumped. "I'll head to your place now."

"No need, we're at the bottom of the stairs. Now hurry, there's a movie they both want to see."

Usagi blinked. "But how did you..." She sighed. "Never mind..." She looked up at the others. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys later." She said in a mopey tone of voice.

"Oh, cheer up Usagi-chan." Makoto said, winking. "Hotaru has pretty good taste, it shouldn't be too bad." Usagi just made a small, sad sound and slumped her way down the stairs.

Once she was out of sight and earshot, Makoto turned back to Rei. "Now Rei-chan...about Ami and Minako...?"

------------------

Ami and Minako sneezed in unison. They looked at each other and began laughing. "I guess we're popular today." Minako said, chucking.

"I guess so." Ami agreed, smiling broadly. Since it was the weekend, and even Ami had grown tired of their intensive studying over the course of the last week, they had decided to leave the books firmly at home and just have a little fun today. At the moment, they were having a drink at a little coffee shop that Haruka and Michiru often frequented.

Minako had stayed up late last night, trying to figure out what had happened yesterday. By the lake in the park, something had passed between Ami and her. They understood each other a little better anyway, that was certain. Minako has constantly surprised by how much of a kindred spirit Ami was turning out to be, in spite of their differences.

"Minako-chan." Minako looked up and smiled.

"Yes, Ami-chan?" Ami was smiling at her shyly, one hand resting on her coffee cup. She began to blush as she tried to speak.

"I...I just wanted to say that I'm really enjoying spending all of this time with you." She blushed a little deeper. "You're a lot of fun to be with...I really appreciate you helping me study, but that's not just it. I think we're a lot more alike...I mean, we've always been friends...but..." Ami had turned absolutely crimson at this point.

"It's okay." Minako smiled at her. By now she knew that Ami could be horribly awkward when it came to expressing her feelings. For some reason, Minako was thrilled that Ami was obviously thinking along the same lines she was. And even though she was just as confused as her friend, she wanted to reassure her. "I feel the same way." Ami smiled back gratefully and nodded, her blush fading somewhat.

"I hope the others don't think we're avoiding them." Ami chuckled. "We sure haven't been spending much time with anyone else lately."

Minako leaned back and rather dramatically waved her hand. "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure they're fine...they must be awfully lonely without us, but they know we're here if they need us."

Ami nodded. "That's true...it's nice having friends like that, isn't it? Sometimes I still can't believe I have friends who count on me...and I know I can count on them, too." She sighed happily. "I still get lonely sometimes, but like you said, we're all here for each other."

"We all get lonely sometimes, Ami-chan." Minako said, shrugging. "It's just part of life." She smiled. "Being lonely is what makes the time we spend with people we love valuable. We think our own thoughts, we have our own feelings, and that sometimes sets us apart from all of the others. But as long as there are people we care about, and who care about us, we can bear the loneliness. As long as there's someone who loves you, no matter how alone you are, you know they're waiting for you."

There was a long pause after Minako spoke, and after a moment she looked up to see Ami staring at her. She tilted her head. "Are you okay?" She said, suddenly worried she had said something wrong. Ami blinked and shook her head emphatically.

"I'm fine, really!" She smiled, the genuine smile that Minako had come to treasure every time it appeared...it seemed to light up the blue-  
haired girl's entire face somehow. "I was just...surprised, I guess. That was very poetic...I liked it very much." She leaned forward, resting her cheek in her hand.

Minako blushed softly and smiled. "It was nothing."

"No...it was something." Ami disagreed. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"You're welcome." Minako looked at Ami, her face splitting into such a wide grin that it was in danger of making her face hurt. -Why am I feeling like this?- She wondered, a fluttery feeling making her stomach do somersaults somewhere inside her.

------------------

"But the theater's down this street!" Chibi-Usa complained, tugging on Usagi's sleeve. Usagi stopped and turned, glaring at the little girl.

"Naru-chan and I have been talking about seeing this movie all week and it would be really mean for me to see it without her. It will only take a few minutes to pick her up and then we can go, okay?" She said, not quite shouting.

"But I don't want to wait." The pink-haired girl glared back. She blinked and looked a little surprised as Hotaru placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Chibi-Usa..." She said in a soft reprimand. "Usagi-san is right, it wouldn't be nice to leave her friend behind." She smiled. "We can wait a little while, right?"

Chibi-Usa looked down and grumbled for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, we can." She smiled back at her friend. They began walking down the street again, Usagi in front and the two younger girls hand-in-hand behind her.

Usagi hummed lightly as she walked. Makoto had been right, Hotaru did have good taste. The movie the girls wanted to see was a romance that had been getting incredible reviews ever since it premiered. She would have liked to see it with Mamoru, of course, but he could generally only be dragged to so many of those in a short time period, and she'd already burned out her quota.

She looked back at Hotaru and Chibi-Usa, then smilied gleefully to herself. Her future daughter could be a pill sometimes, but the two of them were just so cute together. She absolutely could not stay irritated with Chibi-Usa when Hotaru was around.

They arrived at Osa-P Jewelry and spotted Naru behind the counter, helping her mother place some new items in the display case. She looked up and waved. "Usagi-chan!"

"Naru-chan! We're going to go see that movie! Can you come?"

Naru smiled broadly. "Sure! Let me just finish here and..." Her eyes widened suddenly and Usagi heard Hotaru and Chibi-Usa gasp behind her. Acting on instinct, she spun around and shoved both of the children to the ground just as something large and black crashed through the display window, showering the interior of the store with glass and jewelry.

Usagi looked up and behind her. A black pyramid, about five feet tall, was sitting in the center of the store. Naru and her mother were holding each other, crouched behind the counter but safe for the moment. The handful of customers were hiding in the corners or had already fled.

"Too easy." A scratchy female voice said from above her. Usagi looked up. A heavily muscled daeva stood in the display window. She was neon green in color and her hair, a deeper green, streaked out behind her like grass. What looked like orange flower petals covered her body in strategic areas.

"Far too easy Paraxis." Said another voice in a high pitched whistle. This daeva was much smaller than the other, probably only four feet tall. It seemed strangely boneless in it movements as it swung through the window and landed on the other's shoulder. It was slender and covered in scales, with a long sinewy tail sweeping the air behind it. It smiled, revealing a mouthful of fangs and a long tongue that swept out to test the air. "This won't be any fun at all."

Paraxis hopped into the store and looked around. "If Master Gluon wanted us both to come, I'm not going to argue." She hissed.

Usagi whispered down to the girls who were still laying beneath her. "We need to go, now."

"We would have been gone already if your fat wasn't crushing us." Chibi-Usa said impudently. Usagi knocked on her skull lightly with one knuckle.

"That's how you thank me for saving you?" Usagi slid off and the three of them made a dash for the door.

"Not so fast!" The lizard-like one squeaked, leaping off Paraxis' shoulder and sticking to the glass of the door just as Usagi reached out for it. All three girls screamed and jumped back. It grinned at them, a long tongue darting out to lick it's scaled mouth. "Want to play?"

"No!" Usagi shouted, grabbing it by the tail and spinning around a few times before letting go, sending it sprawling into a display case. The three girls dashed out of the store as Paraxis began laughing at her companion.

"Was she too much for you Tuaton?" She grinned. Tuaton sprang to it's feet, enraged.

"I'll skin her for that!"

"Not so fast!" Both daeva turned to the window and the three figures framed there. "The good people who run this store get picked on way too much! I won't let the two of you do it anymore! I am Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Naru and her mother took advantage of the distraction and ran upstairs. Sailor Moon smiled as she saw them head to safety.

"Get them!" Paraxis grated. "I'll get the device into position." She began pushing the pyramid across the floor. The more she moved it, the heavier it seemed to get. Tuaton dashed forward towards Sailor Moon, who ducked out of the way at the last moment. The small daeva was caught right in the chest by the pole of Sailor Saturn's Silence Glaive, sending it sailing across the room. Tuaton effortlessly bounded off the opposite wall with it's hind legs and sailed back towards Sailor Moon, who screamed and made a surprisingly accurate leap out of the way. She began running in a circle around the room, the scaled daeva scuttling close behind.

Paraxis had set her back against the pyramid and was striving with all her might to move it the last few inches into its proper place. "Hold it!" A small voice piped up from just in front of her. She looked down to find Sailor Chibi-Moon standing there, hands on her hips. "I don't know what you're doing, but I won't let you!"

"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!"

The tiny pink hearts streaked out of Chibi-Moon's wand, hitting Paraxis in the face and making her wince at the sting. It took her a few moments to collect herself, but when she did, she glared at the tiny Senshi, holding out her hand as her fingers twisted and grew into long vines that held the child fast, sending her wand skittering across the floor.

"Enough!" She shouted. The vines began to tighten. "You little nuisance, I'll..." The razor edge of the Silence Glaive cut through the vines, letting Sailor Chibi-Moon drop heavily to the floor, gasping for breath.

Sailor Saturn glared up at the tall daeva, her Glaive held ready. "You'll leave her alone." She said flatly. Paraxis snarled, her fingers twining together to form a three-foot spike. The Glaive swung down, almost too quickly to see and cut deeply into the daeva's weapon. The wound, however, closed in an instant, and Paraxis smiled grimly at the Senshi of Silence. They began trading blows at lightning speed, great gashes appearing in the floor where their weapons missed the mark.

Tuaton had cornered Sailor Moon and was holding onto a light fixture with all four limbs, its tail was stabbing out again and again, leaving a hole in the wall each time it struck at where the Senshi had been an instant before. The last time was too close and Sailor Moon felt blood trickling down her cheek. -This isn't looking good.- She thought worriedly.

------------------

Sailor Venus was once again running just a step ahead of Sailor Mercury, responding to Sailor Moon's distress call from Osa-P Jewelry. This time, the two of them were just a few streets away and they were moving fast. However, a small obstacle appeared as they turned down a small side street that would lead right to the jewelry store. A police officer stood at the entrance of the street, his arms held out straight to stop them.

"Hold it! Nobody's allowed down here...there's an emergency."

Venus saw red and summarily fired a crescent beam right between the officer's legs. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to!" The hapless police officer turned and ran. Venus headed after him, shaking a fist in the air. "Hey, cop! Get back here, I'm not finished with you yet! You stupid cop, I'm gonna..."

"Venus!" Sailor Mercury's voice made Venus skid to a halt. She turned back around, blushing and rubbing the back of her head.

"Sorry about that."

Mercury tried to look angry for a moment, then gave it up and chuckled. "Well, you did get him out of the way."

The two started running again. They arrived at the store seconds later, leaping through the demolished window without hesitation. Sailor Chibi-Moon looked up in relief as she saw them. "Mercury! Venus!"

"Eeep! Help!" Sailor Moon cried out, still dodging Tuaton's tail.

"I'll take it." Mercury said, stepping forward. "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" The freezing water lashed out across the store and struck the small lamp the daeva was hanging from. The lamp collapsed, encased in ice along with Tuaton's legs. It immediately skittered away on its arms behind some display cases. Sailor Moon waved at Mercury gratefully and nervously began searching through the cases.

Saturn and her opponent were still trading blow after blow, neither able to gain an advantage over the other. Venus watched the fight avidly, waiting for an opportunity. Abruptly, the fight changed. Sailor Saturn overextended, just a fraction of an inch. But Paraxis was ready to take advantage. She ducked, her spike-arm flying up and hitting the Glaive's shaft, knocking Saturn's arms above her head. She lashed out with her other fist, punching her opponent solidly in the chest and sending her slim form skidding across the floor. Paraxis stepped over to where she lay gasping, murder in her eyes.

Venus leveled her fingers at Paraxis, then jerked her hand back as Sailor Chibi-Moon ran out and blocked her shot, standing protectively in front of Saturn with arms outstretched. "You can't hurt her!" She yelled angrily.

"Not yet, anyway." Paraxis hissed, raising her spike high in the air. As she slashed out, Sailor Moon dashed across the floor, tackling Chibi-  
Moon and pushing her to safety. A wide gash was torn in the back of her fuku as the spike whistled through the air where Sailor Moon's daughter had been an instant before, and Sailor Moon slumped into unconsciousness as she hit the floor, Chibi-Moon still cradled protectively in her arms.

"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!" The golden heart slammed right into the green daeva's chest, blasting her backwards right into the black pyramid. The force of the impact was enough to push it back a mere fraction of an inch, and immediately a high pitched whine filled the store.

"What is that?" Venus blinked, noticing the strange object for the first time.

"Scanning." Mercury said, her computer's visor appearing over her eyes. The air around the pyramid began to bend inwards and flashes of light began to climb up and down its sides. Mercury's eyes widened in fear. "Oh no..."

"Good enough." Venus said. "CRESCENT BEAM!" The golden beam of energy hit the pyramid but dissipated without effect. Her eyes widened. "That's not good."

Mercury was looking more and more frightened by the moment. "We need more power!"

Venus looked around desperately. Sailor Moon was still out, Sailor Chibi-Moon frantically shaking her shoulder. Sailor Saturn had pulled herself into a sitting position, holding her forehead and shaking her head. "Saturn!" Venus yelled at the leader of the Outer Senshi. "That pyramid needs to go now!"

Saturn looked up. Paraxis had gained her feet as well, and was standing in front of the pyramid in a threatening posture. Behind her, the black object's image bent and distorted frighteningly. Lightning radiated from the tip of the pyramid, seeming to pull the space around it inwards. Sailor Saturn nodded grimly and stood, leveling the blade of her glaive right at the pyramid.

"SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!" All the sound in the room seemed to drain away, replaced by an absolute silence that was almost painful in its completeness. A violet light exploded in the air directly above the pyramid, blinding everyone in the room. A violent concussion struck Sailor Venus and she was hurled against the side of the window in a soundless impact. She could feel a small shard of glass cut into her back and she cried out, but nothing penetrated the absolute quiet.

Abruptly, there was a sound. A sharp, metallic cleaving sound. The ambient noise returned after that, and as the violet light faded, Venus could see Sailor Saturn on one knee, her Glaive held diagonally before her. With a crash, the top half of the pyramid landed just behind her. An instant later, both halves began to dissolve into black sand.

Venus looked around. Mercury had been thrown just next to her and was sitting against the wall, eyes closed and head back. Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon had been tossed against the wall to her left, and were now blearily climbing to their feet. A sudden sound from the main counter made Venus' head snap around. Paraxis had been thrown directly into it, utterly demolishing the counter. The tall daeva was struggling to stand, numerous tears and gashes in her body healing in moments.

Sailor Venus turned back to Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon!"

"Right!" Sailor Moon twirled her scepter in her fingers expertly. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" Paraxis barely had time to look surprised as the attack struck her, making her shriek in pain. As Spinne had before, the daeva fell into herself in a ball of black lightning, and then she was gone.

The Sailor Senshi helped each other out of the store and down an alley. After transforming back, they looked themselves over. All things considered, they got away fairly lightly, just numerous cuts and bruises. Usagi was the worst off, but the long slice over her back wasn't deep and soon stopped bleeding.

"What was that black pyramid?" Minako asked Ami.

The blue-haired Senshi shook her head. "I'll need to look at the data again. But it was bad...it was tearing the space around it to pieces, and getting stronger by the moment. In another couple of seconds, I doubt that even Hotaru could have destroyed it without taking out the building as well." She smiled over at the young Senshi. "You did very well, Hotaru." The dark-haired girl smiled lightly and nodded. "Thank you." Chibi-Usa smiled as well and hugged her tightly. Hotaru slid an arm around the pink-haired girl's waist and leaned her head against hers. Minako managed to choke back the 'awwww' she felt building within her. Looking around, she noticed both Ami and Usagi smiling fondly at the two girls.

Hotaru blinked and looked around. "What happened to that lizard creature?" She asked.

Minako had completely forgotten about the other daeva in the attack, and from the looks of things, so had everyone else. "Maybe we should go back and try to find it?" She suggested.

Ami was shaking her head. "I don't think that will be necessary...it seemed pretty weak on its own, and since we ruined their plan, it will probably run back to wherever it came from. Assuming it managed to survive Sailor Saturn's attack, that is." Everyone looked reassured by Ami's judgement.

Usagi reached around to touch her back and winced. "Usagi-chan, leave it alone or it will start bleeding again." Ami chided. "You should really put a bandage on it, too."

"I know..." Usagi turned to look back down the alley. There were police everywhere, along with a couple of ambulances. "I guess I could go get help back there. And I want to see how Naru-chan and her mother are." She smiled. "Could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Usagi-chan." Minako smiled back.

"We were going to go see a movie before all this happened...could you two take Hotaru-chan and Chibi-Usa? They're too young to get in on their own, and you're alright to go now, and it will probably be forever before I can leave if I head over there now." She made a face. "No reason to spoil everyone else's fun."

"Alright..." Ami said softly. "But are you sure you don't want a little company?"

Usagi shook her head. "No, I'll be okay." She stuck her tongue out at Chibi-Usa. "Enjoy the movie, brat."

Chibi-Usa smiled. "Thanks, baka." She snuggled in a little closer to Hotaru.

Minako walked over and gave Usagi a very tender hug, trying to watch out for the wound on her back. "You're a good friend, Usagi-chan." She said softly. Usagi just blushed shyly and nodded before walking off down the street, still reaching back under her shirt and wincing as she did so.

Ami shook her head. "I hope she gets bandaged before she needs stitches." Minako giggled softly.

------------------

Minako was a little surprised at the movie they were getting Hotaru and Chibi-Usa into. It was a love story that Minako herself had been longing to see, but she knew that it had some scenes that were very racy indeed. Still, Hotaru was very mature, as was Chibi-Usa (when she wanted to be) and Minako reasoned that they could handle it, particularly since this was probably more or less a date for the two of them.

Ami took the girls into the theater while Minako went on snack duty. When she entered the darkened theater, the previews had just started. Ami had given the younger senshi a little privacy by sitting in the row behind them. The two of them were holding hands and whispering to each other as Minako passed them.

"Hotaru-chan, Chibi-Usa..." She whispered loud enough for Ami to hear as she handed them a drink and some popcorn. "You two can do what you want, and Ami-chan and I won't tell, but you have to promise to watch a little of the movie, okay?" She grinned and winked as the two girls turned beet red and developed a sudden interest in their laps.

Ami was laughing soundlessly as Minako sat next to her. "Oh, you embarrassed them!" She whispered.

Minako giggled as well. "I know...I couldn't help myself. It's so easy, and they're so cute!"

The movie was starting, and Chibi-Usa was leaning against Hotaru, the other girl's arm draped lightly over her shoulders. Ami smiled. "They really are cute together, aren't they?" She whispered. Minako nodded, smiling as well.

Then there was quiet as the movie started. It was fantastic, but the better it got, the more Minako felt her gaze being drawn to Ami. At every emotional scene, she glanced over at her friend, needing to see the expression on her face. The shy girl tended not to wear her emotions for everyone to see, but Minako could read the small changes, and they delighted her.

During one particularly tender scene, Minako looked over and saw Ami smiling at the screen with an almost unbearably sweet look in her eyes. Minako suddenly felt as if she were about to melt, and without even thinking she reached out and placed her hand over Ami's. The other girl looked over at her in surprise, then smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze. Minako's breath caught in her throat and her toes curled with glee.

At that point she suddenly felt as if someone had doused her with cold water. She took her hand back with such force than Ami glanced over at her again. Minako forced a smile and mouthed the word "Bathroom." Ami nodded and turned back to the screen as Minako stood and ran off to the restroom. Minako was glad the restroom was empty when she entered. She went to the sink and doused her face with cold water before looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed...in fact, she was blushing as deeply as Chibi-Usa and Hotaru after she had teased them.

"What's going on?" She whispered, rubbing her forehead. "I mean...that couldn't have been...it wasn't!" She shook her head, forbidding herself from letting that become a coherent thought. "No." She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "Of course not! I'm just all keyed up after the fight and the movie is playing with my emotions...that's all." She straightened her hair and checked herself in the mirror again. She was glad to see the flush fading from her cheeks.

"There, see? Silly girl, Minako." She stuck her tongue out at her own reflection and left the restroom, trying to ignore the stormy emotions she had just forced down, as well as the deep warmth her hand still seemed to possess where Ami had touched it.

She returned to the theater and took her seat, this time gluing her eyes to the screen and resolutely denying every impulse to look over at her blue-haired friend. Try as she might though, she couldn't concentrate on the movie at all...her mind kept returning to the girl next to her. She felt exhilarated and terrified, but she couldn't allow herself to consider the cause.

She just couldn't.

------------------

Tuaton scrabbled up the side of a building a few doors down from Osa-P Jewelry. It was difficult going, as the short daeva's legs were still mostly numb and useless from Sailor Mercury's attack. It didn't really know where it was going...it just had to get away. It had managed to escape just before Sailor Saturn had destroyed the device, sneaking up the stairs while everyone was distracted with Paraxis and leaping out a window.

It managed to grab onto the building's roof ledge with it's scaled hands and was starting to pull itself up when a silver tendril darted from above and caught the reptilian creature around the neck, yanking it upwards and throwing it down onto the roof. It gasped and reflexively tried to scurry away, but several other tentacles joined the first, binding its arms and legs and squeezing most painfully.

Looking up, Tuaton saw Gylax, her hand pointed at it and her fingers stretched into the tendrils that held it fast. Standing next to her in a casual pose, his arms crossed over his chest, was Gluon.

"Tuaton..." Gluon smiled. "How nice to see you safe. How did it go?"

"I...we..." Tuaton tried to answer, but the silver finger around its neck tightened and cut off its air. It twisted and struggled, gasping.

"The device was destroyed, Tuaton." Gluon said, stepping forward and kneeling next to the hapless daeva. "That disappoints me, it disappoints me to no end." He looked around, tucking a stray lock of his green hair behind his ear. "So tell me...where is Paraxis?" Tuaton tried to speak, but no sound emerged from its strangled throat. Gluon nodded at Gylax, and the tension lessened somewhat, allowing Tuaton to breathe again.

"I...I think...she was...destroyed...Master..." It managed to whisper harshly. The look on Gluon's sharp face was enough to make it stop breathing again.

"Let me explain something to you, Tuaton." Gluon said in a very quiet tone. "I fully expected only one of you to return. But I expected that the device would be in place, and that the one to return would be Paraxis. She was one of my most powerful daevas...you were there to cover her until the device could be activated. You were expendable." Gluon stood again. "But...you turned tail and ran before the battle was over, didn't you? You failed at the simple task I assigned you. And you had the bad manners to survive your failure." He shook his head down at the lizard-like daeva. "I'm afraid you will have to be punished." He nodded at Gylax once again, and she retracted her fingers.

Tuaton immediately tried to run, but found its limbs attached to the roof. Looking down with horror, it realized it couldn't see where the roof began and its hands ended. It felt itself being pushed down towards the roof, bonding with it wherever its scaled body touched it. When it was lying completely prone, it felt the pressure on its body increase dramatically, agonizingly.

"Please!" It frantically hissed. "Please forgive me Master Gluon! I will never disobey you again! I swear!" Gluon smiled down at it, his open palm turned to Tuaton as if in blessing. The pressure continued to build.

"Oh Tuaton...why didn't you say so? I'll be happy to forgive you." The pressure became unbearable, and the reptilian daeva screamed in a high-pitched whine. Gluon closed his hand into a fist, and with a sickeningly wet crack, the screams ended. "You are forgiven." Gluon turned his back on his servant's shattered remains to look at Gylax.

The fluid daeva looked back with trepidation. "My Master?"

"This was a massive failure." Gluon said, both fists clenched. "I don't know how they managed to arrive at the attack in time, let alone how they managed to kill Paraxis and destroy the pyramid."

"Perhaps they have a means of scrying that Tachyon cannot prevent?" Gylax offered diffidently. Gluon glared at her, and she quailed.

"I have to go." He finally said. "Lady Meson will summon me about this failure soon, and I need to be ready." He rose into the air. "And one more thing, Gylax." He said quietly. "You chose the daeva for this mission, and you chose poorly. Do not do so again."

"Y-yes my lord..." Gylax said, a quaver in her strange voice. Gluon vanished, leaving her alone on the rooftop.

------------------

Back in Gluon's headquarters, Muon was once again looking into his orb. The walls throughout the area he had claimed for his own had been removed, and the wide space was littered with arcane looking equipment and tall shelved filled with books and scrolls. Strange sounds of electricity and machinery hummed at the edge of hearing and sickly multicolored light filled the air.

Muon was watching the latest battle. Arrayed around the orb were ten small pillars. Seven of them were illuminated, and in each of these, an image of a Sailor Senshi flickered. Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn could be seen, constantly repeating their actions in the battles they had been in.

Currently on the orb was Sailor Saturn's attack. With a wave of his hand, he filtered out the violet glare, able to see the small Senshi flying at the pyramid, her Glaive barely slowing down as it cut the device in two, destroying it in a massive but silent flare of negative energy.

"Such power." He murmured, a faint light appearing in his eyes. "Interesting."

------------------

Minako sat in her room and sighed, looking up out of her window. Her mother was gone when she arrived, out to some social function or another. Minako no longer kept track. Artemis jumped lightly up onto the sill and looked at her. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes..." She smiled faintly. "I'm fine Artemis." She looked down at her companion. "Did you and Luna figure anything out?"

Artemis sighed and hung his head. "Nothing...and Setsuna and Rei both reported that they have nothing about today's attack either. We still have no clues."

"Hmmm." Minako said distractedly, staring up at the night sky. She had walked Ami to her apartment building after the younger girls had headed home. Minako was surprised at how comfortable she was with her friend, even after the shock in the theater.

-Well, you did decide it wasn't...that...right?- She reminded herself. Yes...she did. It couldn't be that...it just couldn't. She jumped a little as she realized Artemis was still trying to talk to her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Artemis sighed. "I just said that we're going to meet with all the other Senshi at Rei's place tomorrow. Maybe we can figure something out by then."

Minako nodded. "Sure, sounds good." She stood and turned to her bed. "Artemis...I'm still pretty tired from the fight. I think I'm going to sleep."

"...Okay Minako." Artemis replied. "You're sure you're alright?"

-NO!- Her mind shouted angrily, but Minako just nodded and made a small sound of assent. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes, but sleep was a long, long time coming. These last few nights, the thought of Ami was a comfort to her as she drifted off, and made her smile. But now...now it frightened her. Badly.

-Why?- Her mind demanded. -What am I so afraid of?- But as much as her mind asked, her heart refused to answer.


	4. Chapter 4

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

(If I owned Sailormoon, you'd be watching this, not reading it, and I'd be rich. I'm not. Figure it out)  
-  
Chapter 4

Gluon was kneeling on the stone floor of a wide cavern. The floors, walls and ceiling of the chamber glowed a very faint white, giving the entire chamber a ghostly luminescence. This cavern was thick with stalactites and stalagmites, and they did not glow, jutting from the floor and ceiling like black fangs in the otherworldly maw of the cave. It was an oddly beautiful setting, and it was the nerve center of Lord Hadron's empire here on Earth.

"You have acted very rashly Gluon." Meson's clipped, military voice rang out from somewhere in front of him. Gluon kept his eyes fixed on the glowing floor and his right arm crossed over his chest. He knew better than to move or respond. "The World Anchors are difficult to produce, and even harder to transport between worlds. Your foolishness cost us one needlessly. And it cost us one of our stronger warriors." Gluon could hear Meson's steps, winding back and forth between the stalagmites.

Meson's white clad feet suddenly appeared in Gluon's line of sight, and for the first time he looked up. She was looking down on him, an utterly blank expression on her face. "This is the first time you have been given so much authority and freedom in your duties. So far, Lord Hadron and I are unimpressed." Her booted foot suddenly lashed out and the point caught Gluon right below the chin. The kick threw him onto his back, and he felt blood running from the corner of his mouth.

"You will do better." Meson said commandingly. "You're talented Gluon, but you're far from irreplaceable. And those who fail Lord Hadron are replaced very quickly."

Gluon found his voice, and he propped himself up on his elbows, nodding. "Yes, Lady Meson." Meson nodded in return and waited for Gluon to rise to his feet.

"You'll get another Anchor in four days, Gluon. I strongly advise you to treat this one a little better."

Gluon bowed deeply. "Yes, Lady Meson." He paused. "My Lady..."

Meson crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow. "Gluon?"

"May I speak with Tachyon? I would find it far easier to form a plan if I could use her talents to find the best time and place to launch the next attack." Meson's face hardened and Gluon shut his mouth with a snap.

"Two things, Gluon. First, her predictions are far from being a detailed map of the future...we're lucky to get the little information we have. Second, her efforts to mask us from detection and her special duties to Lord Hadron leave her no time to save you from botching your duties. You'll handle this on your own." She smiled cruelly. "Or you won't." As an afterthought, she added, "If you really can't do this on your own, I'd suggest asking Muon. He's there to help." Her eyes glittered with amusement at the rage she saw surging beneath her servant's calm exterior. "Now, go."

Gluon bowed without a word and stepped back into a portal that opened just behind him. When he was gone, a childish giggle echoed through the chamber. "He was so upset..." A childish female voice chimed in happily. "I sort of felt bad for him. Maybe I could give him a little help."

Meson looked up. "No, Tachyon. You have to finish the job Lord Hadron gave you. You can't help him."

"Oh, that's too bad. I liked him." The giggle sounded through the cavern again.

------------------

Ami had arrived at the Hikawa Shrine before anyone else, exhausted but excited. She spent the time talking to Rei about the miko's continued inability to read their enemies through the fire, but refused to give any hints about her own discovery. Rei seemed to have a secret of her own and kept giving the most intelligent of the Sailor Senshi a knowing smile when she thought Ami wasn't looking.

Usagi soon arrived with Mamoru and Chibi-Usa, Luna trailing behind. When the attack had occurred yesterday, Mamoru had been on the outskirts of Tokyo...far too much distance for even Tuxedo Kamen to cover in such a short time. However, he had shown up soon afterwards to make sure everything was okay and help Naru and her mother clean up their store. The damage was extensive, but so was their insurance policy.

Setsuna and Hotaru showed up a few minutes later, and Ami hoped that Haruka and Michiru would be able to return early as planned. They couldn't afford to be shorthanded for what was coming. Minako, Makoto and Artemis came at about the same time, Minako giving Ami a very warm smile, which was returned, and Makoto smiling like a cat who'd fallen in the cream. Artemis just looked a bit bored and curled up on the steps.

Rei gave Makoto a questioning look, and Makoto grinned and nodded in return. Rei blinked, then coughed and cleared her throat. "Ami-chan says she's found something important." All eyes turned to the Senshi of Water, who blushed shyly and smiled.

"That's right..." She opened her bag and took out her laptop, opening it so everyone could see the screen. "I think I know what our enemy is up to. And I think I have a plan to stop them." Everyone murmured surprise at that and crowded around the screen on Ami's lap. She tapped a few things into her miniature supercomputer, and a diagram of the pyramid the deava had yesterday appeared on both screens.

"This thing acts kind of like a wedge." She said. "But it works on space. It's keyed to the coordinates of some other world, and put in the right spot, it pushes our world and that world closer together."

"The right spot?" Minako asked. Ami nodded.

"A weak spot..." She tapped a few keys and the screen shifted to a map of Tokyo. A red marker appeared where Osa-P Jewelry stood. "Kind of like a crack in space." A little pyramid icon replaced the marker, and an irregular red mark spread out from it. "If that wedge had been totally activated, it would have been much easier in that area to open portals between our world, and the world the wedge was keyed to."

Another pyramid appeared close to the first, and where its red stain overlapped the other, little specks of black appeared inside. "With two active, portals would begin opening at random, all on their own." Several more appeared at random points around the city. "With six or so..." The red blotch covered Tokyo now, and a huge black stain appeared in the center of the city. "When if reaches that point, in that black spot our two worlds will be the same place. Moving from world to world will be as easy as walking. And there'll be no way to separate the two again."

"They could move an entire army of daeva into Tokyo!" Makoto exclaimed. "But...couldn't we just destroy the wedges?" She asked. Setsuna was already shaking her head however, and Ami nodded to herself at that confirmation of what she had surmised.

"No." Ami said. "Once they're active they leave space as we know it, and they become pretty much indestructible. The one yesterday was just starting to activate when Sailor Saturn destroyed it. A minute or so later and not even she would have been able to do that."

Rei looked curiously at the map. "So what can we do?"

Ami actually smirked at that. "Look...these other spots on the map are just random guesses. I don't know where any of the other dimensional faultlines are that they could use...but I can find out." She tapped again, and the projection vanished from the screen. Just the first known spot remained. What looked like radar sweeps went out over the map periodically, and a complicated series of numbers and symbols appeared off to the side.

"I'm collecting spatial data over the entire city...it's going to take awhile, but I think I can find the most likely spots that they'll attack. Once we have those, we just have to watch and wait."

Setsuna smiled. "That's wonderful Ami-chan. It doesn't matter if Rei and I can see the future if we know where they attack."

Minako grinned. "And, if they think they've cut off all our ways of gethering information, they'll never see us coming!" She smiled proudly at Ami and gave her a thumbs-up. "You did great Mercury!" Ami flushed and smiled softly.

"Thanks Minako-chan." She said. Makoto and Rei shared a knowing grin at that. Ami didn't notice, however, and with the push of a few more buttons, the screen went blank. "Well, that's all I have...anybody else?"

Setsuna spoke up. "Devices like these wedges aren't at all easy to make, no matter who you are." She said in her soft voice. "It's risky and takes time and energy. If we can keep holding them back, they have to run out sooner or later." She allowed herself a small smile. "Probably sooner."

"That's good news." Luna said, stretching. She looked up at Usagi, who had been dozing as she leaned against Mamoru's shoulder. With a long, long suffering look she hopped up on Usagi's shoulder and shouted in her ear. "RIGHT, USAGI?" The pigtailed princess jumped and gave a small shriek of surprise, then blushed as she noticed everyone looking at her.

"Um...right." She rubbed the back of her head and grinned. "Sorry I dropped out there, but I'm sure everyone did great!"

Mamoru chuckled and helped her to her feet. "I'll explain it to you later, Usako."

Ami closed her laptop and put it away. She was eager to get back to work. "I guess that's it." She heard Makoto say.

"All right, I should go home and get back to work." Ami said, standing. Minako stood at the same time.

"Mind if I walk with you part of the way?" Ami felt a warm flush at that.

"Sure." She replied, smiling. She headed down the stairs, Minako keeping pace. Ami was consistently surprised by the leader of the Inner Senshi's behavior. She had initially assumed that Minako was simply doing her a favor by helping her study, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that she was just genuinely enjoying Ami's company. That wasn't really surprising, they had always been friends, after all. But they were swiftly approaching best friend status.

Ami had never really had a 'best' friend before. Usagi, perhaps. But in a way Usagi was everyone's best friend, so that hardly counted. But Minako...she was friendly and open, insightful, artistic and energetic. And of course, absolutely beautiful. Just being near her made the blue-  
haired Senshi feel warm down to her core. And knowing that they were becoming so close was enough to paste a huge, goofy smile on her face. When nobody was looking, of course.

"I'm really impressed, Ami-chan." Minako said. "You really helped us out." That was the leader in Minako talking. Ami had come to recognize the tone.

She smiled in return. "Thanks, but its no big deal...it was really obvious once I looked at the data."

Minako chuckled softly. "Obvious to you might not be so obvious to everyone else." She gently reminded her. She looked over at Ami, tilting her head and smiling. "How much extra work is this going to be for you?"

Ami shrugged. "There's going to be a lot of data to go through...it won't be very hard, just tedious." She tapped her mouth thoughtfully. "I'll probably have a complete list of likely places by...Saturday?"

Minako nodded. "And the next practice exam's on Friday, isn't it?"

"It is." Ami nodded in agreement. Minako puffed out her cheeks slightly and let out a sigh.

"I feel bad about having you do so much work, Ami-chan." She said after a moment.

Ami shrugged noncommittally and smiled a bit. "Well, I'm not going to have much free time this week, it's true." She smiled shyly, feeling herself blush. "But it won't be so bad...you and I will still be studying together."

Minako smiled back, a small blush on her own cheeks. "Yeah...that's true." All too soon, they had reached Ami's apartment building. "Well...I guess you can't do anything today."

"No...I'd really, really like to...but I can't." Ami said, feeling far more disappointment than she had anticipated. There was literally nothing she'd rather do than drop everything and go have fun with the girl standing before her. But, of course, she couldn't. Minako nodded with a sigh.

"Okay...don't work yourself too hard, okay?" She said seriously, with a concerned look that really touched Ami.

"Okay." She smiled. She looked surprised for a moment as Minako gave her a warm hug, then smiled fondly with a blush and returned it.

Minako stepped back, grinning. Ami felt her smile widening to a grin as well. The two of them stared for a long moment and then started laughing softly. "Well," Ami said, wiping her eyes. "I really need to go." She smiled again at Minako. "Thanks Minako-chan."

Minako just smiled back and nodded. "Anytime!" She headed off down the street, waving. Ami headed inside.

As she walked through the lobby, she noticed everyone smiling at her. It rather surprised her, until she realized that she had a big, happy smile on her own face. And in the elevator, she found herself humming, something she very rarely did. Despite her disappointment at not being able to spend time with Minako, she felt completely happy. She wasn't precisely sure why, but she did.

-So who cares why?- She told herself. Seeing the logic of that, she lost herself in the happy tune she was humming as she entered her apartment and began processing data.

------------------

"Do you really think that's what's happening?" Makoto asked Rei. Usagi, Mamoru and all the rest had left in a group shortly after Minako and Ami, leaving the two girls behind to talk and compare notes.

Rei nodded emphatically. "I'm just about positive...whenever you mention Minako to Ami, she gets the softest little look in her eyes." She giggled softly. "It's really cute."

Makoto nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah...Minako did the same thing. And she kept pushing the conversation we were having back to Ami...how smart she was, how cute, how sweet..." She grinned. "She's lucky I'm Ami's friend too, or I would have been really sick of hearing about her."

Rei crossed her arms and closed her eyes, nodding. "See? It's just like I said...they're in love."

Makoto placed a finger on her cheek thoughtfully and looked up. "I wonder why they're keeping it a secret. They have to know we wouldn't have a problem with it, between Haruka and Michiru, and Hotaru and Chibi-Usa."

"I'm not so sure they are." Rei replied. "I mean...I think they're keeping it a secret, but probably from each other, too...honestly, they might not even realize how they feel about each other."

"That might be true..." Makoto replied. "Well...I'd be kind of surprised if Minako hadn't figured it out by now." She chuckled. "But Ami can be really clueless about this kind of thing."

"So what should we do?" Rei asked rhetorically. She was getting a match-making gleam in her eyes.

"Nothing." Makoto replied, firmly. Rei blinked in surprise and looked up at her. "Nothing." She repeated. "If they're at that stage, it could be really bad if we tried to help them. They might be humiliated...they might even get scared away from each other. The best thing to do right now is to let them figure this out on their own."

Rei sighed deeply. "I guess you're right..." She looked sidelong over at Makoto with a smile. "But if they come to us looking for help..."

Makoto grinned back. "It's our duty as friends to help them be as happy as they possibly can! So we should make sure that they know that we're available and ready to talk."

Both girls nodded at each other seriously, then grinned again.

------------------

Minako stepped into her house and removed her shoes before she heard the tell-tale sounds that indicated she wasn't the only person in it. She quickly began slipping her shoes back on, but too late.

"Mimi, is that you?" She cringed at the pet name and her mother's strident tone. She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Mother, it's me." She called back.

"Where have you been?" "With my friends at the Hikawa Shrine."

"Oh, right, your volleyball friends." Minako gritted her teeth.

"No mother, my other friends." Minako sometimes wondered how the other Senshi were able to keep their identities as Senshi a secret from their families. In her case, however, it was rather less of a mystery. Father still worked in London, only coming home to Tokyo once a month, if then. And Mother...was Mother.

"Well, anyway Mimi...I hate to run out like this, but I have a lunch I just can't miss. And then I'll probably be out most of the night...Kareda-san is throwing a dinner party tonight. Will you be okay by yourself?" Minako's mother, a slightly taller and much skinnier version of Minako herself appeared in the hall, heading for the door where Minako was still standing.

"Yes, Mother." She said shortly. "I always am."

Her mother paused to give her daughter a quick peck on the cheek before hustling out the door. Minako took the one shoe she had managed to get on off and sighed, trudging up the stairs. When she was younger, she used to wish that her mother would take her with her when she went out. Now, she was just glad to get a respite from the flaky, selfish and shallow woman.

When she reached her room, she lay back on her bed and tried to think of something pleasant. Of course, her mind immediately turned to one Mizuno Ami. Her eyes closed, she pictured the cute genius of the Senshi in her mind's eye. She really was proud of her friend, finally giving them the edge they needed to fight back against their new enemy. Of course, if anyone could do it, Sailor Mercury could.

Minako was worried about her, though. She worked so hard...too hard, much of the time. She made a mental note to look out for signs that Ami wasn't sleeping, pretty much a sure bet considering all she had to do. She smiled a little bit. That was Ami, though. She poured herself, mind and heart, into everything she did. Minako doubted Ami even understood the concept of not giving a task her all.

The Senshi of Love rolled over onto her side and rested her head in the crook of her arm. She yawned softly. Images of Ami still swirling about her head, she drifted off into a light sleep.

------------------

Hours later, as the sky was growing dark, Artemis padded into Minako's room to find the blonde girl snoring softly into her mattress, fully dressed. The white cat chuckled and shook his head fondly, then hopped up onto the bed and placed his forepaws on the side of Minako's head, pushing down slightly. "Minako..." He said softly.

Other than a muffled grunt, there was no change. He began to bounce up and down a little harder. "Minako!" Still nothing. With a cat's grin, he extended his claws. "Minako!"

Minako snorted loudly and sat upright, tossing Artemis across the room. "What? Who is it? Where?" She asked blearily, looking around the room.

Her cat guardian shook himself out of his daze and scrambled to his feet. "Well, it's about time!" He said. "How long have you been asleep?"

Minako yawned a bit and took a brush from the nightstand, straightening her hair. "What time is it now?"

"It's almost seven."

Minako blinked in surprise, then continued her brushing. "That late? Wow...I've been asleep all day!"

"Well, you didn't really get a lot of rest after the fight yesterday...you were tossing and turning all night." Artemis replied. "You'd think you could have a little consideration for your poor suffering guardian!" He sniffed piteously and then yowled and ducked as a pillow sailed his way.

"Oh, hush cat." Minako said, making a face at him. She was smiling gently and humming to herself. Artemis looked at her in surprise.

"Are you okay? You're never this happy when you wake up."

Minako tilted her head. "Hm...I think I had a really nice dream."

"Oh? What about?"

Minako smiled. "You know, I can't remember at all. It really put me in a good mood, though." She yawned and stretched, sliding off the bed. "Come on, let's have a little dinner."

Despite her socialite mother, the Aino family had never been in much of a position to employ servants. There was a housekeeper that came in once a week, a very nice woman named Keiko that Minako liked very much, but most of the day to day stuff was left to the family. Which, of course, meant Minako.

Ever since she'd outgrown her nanny at the age of ten, Minako had been cooking for herself. She didn't have the knack for it like Makoto did, but she could keep herself from starving to death. She entered her wide kitchen and checked the fridge. Some takoyaki and a few dumplings that she could fry up stood out. "That'll do." She hummed.

She also got out a can of tuna and opened it onto a plate on the kitchen table for Artemis. Of course, by the time her own meal was ready and she sat down to join him, the greedy cat had licked the plate clean.

Silence reigned for a few minutes as Minako began eating. She paused for a moment to listen to the sounds of her house. She remembered being a girl of only eleven and hiding in her room when it was windy and the house began to creak in a frightening way for a little girl. She'd been too scared even to come down and eat. Minako honestly didn't like her home very much...she'd been abandoned there far too often. It wasn't huge, but it would always feel big and very empty to her. She'd been very disappointed when they moved back in on her return to Tokyo.

She sighed a bit. Artemis, familiar with this line of thought, sat next to her arm and lightly nuzzled her hand. She smiled down at the cat. "Artemis..." She said, trying to think of something less gloomy. "What do you think of Ami?"

Artemis made a thoughtful humming sound and licked a paw to bathe his face. "I think she's great...or at least she'd better be, with the way you've been ditching me for her this week!"

Minako poked his head lightly and he grinned. "Artemis, I was being serious!"

"Okay, okay..." He continued to wash his face as he thought. "I think a lot of the time she doesn't let herself feel."

Minako leaned forward, nibbling on a dumpling. "Explain."

Artemis yawned and stretched in that particular catlike manner before sitting down again, resting his head on folded paws. "I think she tends to just push herself through whatever she has around, concentrating so much on her task that she never has time to really get in touch with her feelings." He closed his eyes. "I've really noticed this last week, with the two of you spending so much time together. She throws herself into her studies or whatever to the point that she can't possibly pay attention to anything else."

"But that's a good quality!" Minako protested, feeling rather defensive. "She works really, really hard."

"I didn't say it wasn't a good quality." Artemis said. "I think she takes it to extremes, though. She uses work as a way to escape from having to really deal with her problems. I doubt she even really notices herself doing it at this point."

Minako thought about that for a moment. "So you noticed her doing this while the two of us were studying?"

Artemis nodded into his paws. "Yes."

"I wonder what she was trying not to think about..." Minako mused quietly. Artemis just shrugged a bit.

"Who knows? I don't think it's really dangerous...yet. Luna and I worry about her sometimes, though."

"So do I." Minako murmured.

"I think getting close might be good for both of you." The white cat said softly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Minako asked peevishly.

"You both keep too much bottled in, Minako." Artemis looked up at as she began to speak. "Don't try to deny it...I know you better than just about anyone. I know how much you keep your real feelings to yourself." He settled his head down once again. "It would be good for you both to have someone you can confide in."

"I've always confided in you, Artemis."

Artemis chuckled a little. "Yeah...but maybe you'd feel a little closer to someone your own gender and species."

Minako smiled and chuckled as well. "Yeah...maybe so." She pushed her chair out and headed upstairs. Artemis followed behind her after a moment. She had homework due tomorrow...she hoped she could handle it.

Well...she smiled to herself. If she couldn't, she was positive Ami wouldn't mind it if she gave her a little call for some help.


	5. Chapter 5

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 5

Tuesday. And Minako was going a little stir crazy. Yesterday, after she and Ami had finished their study session, Minako had gone straight home and spent the rest of the day moping about in a most pathetic way. Even Artemis had gotten fed up after awhile and had left to spend some time with Luna and Diana. She was determined not to do that again today.

"It's not like we're joined at the hip, right?" She muttered to herself as she put the finishing touches in her hair before leaving for school. "I can get through a few days without hanging out with Ami! I mean, after Friday she won't need to study with me anymore, and things will probably just go back to normal." That was a rather depressing prospect, and not one Minako was ready to deal with yet.

In all honesty, everything they were doing at this point was pretty much review anyway. Ami had learned virtually everything Minako had to teach. And Minako had learned quite a bit from Ami in the process. She had no worries about Ami's performance in the next practice exam.

She sighed again. "She doesn't need me anymore..." At that moment, the bell rang. She peeked out the window. "Well, speak of the devil." Ami was standing there, smiling up at her. And in what had become the usual fashion, Artemis hopped down on her shoulders to say hello. Minako smiled at she looked down, a smile not at all feigned. As much as she might worry about their relation...their friendship when they were apart, when she and Ami were together it was hard for Minako to be anything but happy.

She came downstairs and greeted Ami at the door, who responded with a smile that had a touch of concern to it. "Are you feeling up for school today?" She asked. "Artemis was just telling me that you closed yourself in your room after we said good bye yesterday and didn't come out."

Minako glared at Artemis, who suddenly looked rather frightened and found a passing dust mote to be fascinating. "Artemis needs to mind his own business!" She said brightly, turning back to Ami with a warm smile. Artemis sighed deeply in relief. "I'm fine, Ami-chan. I just...wasn't feeling too well yesterday. But I'm absolutely fine now."

As they started down the street for school, Minako glanced back at Artemis with a look that promised retribution. The white cat wilted. "Maybe I should see how Luna's doing today..." He muttered to himself. "Like, for the entire day...maybe the whole week."

Ami took a deep breath and let it out, noticing the wisps of vapor that came out as she did so. "It's getting colder." She noted. "It might snow early this year."

Minako smiled. "Good...I like snow. I think it's beautiful."

"So do I." Ami agreed in a soft voice. They walked along in silence for a few minutes. "So, what did you have planned for today?"

"Well, I guess you still have to head back to crunching numbers after we finish studying?"

Ami made a rueful face. "I'm afraid so...but it's going more quickly than I thought it would. I might have a few likely spots by the end of the day. And once I have a couple, finding the others should be much easier."

The blonde girl nodded. "That's good..." She sighed. "Well, I haven't been to Crown for awhile...maybe I'll see if Usagi wants to come with me."

"Somehow, I don't think Usagi would be against a little trip to an arcade." Ami noted with a giggle.

Minako smiled in return. "Probably not!" There was a certain awkwardness to this conversation that hadn't been there before. There were too many things going unsaid, Minako decided. She wanted to tell Ami how much she had missed her yesterday. She wanted to tell her that she wanted to keep spending time with her, even after they didn't need to study together anymore.

-But would she think that was weird? Would she even want to spend that much time with me anymore? She's always been a solitary person...she might be getting tired of all the company.- Minako shook her head and sighed deeply.

"Are you sure you're alright Minako-chan?" Ami asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure." She smiled and winked. "Just a little tired, I guess."

Ami smiled and nodded. The remainder of their short walk passed in silence. "Well, I'll see you after school, right?" She asked as they reached the high school building.

Minako nodded. "Of course!" She said with a cheery smile and a wave. She dashed off too quickly to see the faintly worried frown that appeared on Ami's face at her rapid retreat.

------------------

Yet another cavern, this one a low chamber with a twisted, abstract shape. It was well-lit from shining lamps in the ceiling, but there were many nooks and crannies lost in inky black shadow where light could not reach.

Muon gradually appeared in the rough center of this room, his body slowly solidifying like mist into ice. He looked around carefully. Abruptly his eyes narrowed and he spun around, making his robes billow around him as he raised his left palm and created an aura of blue light around it. A slim knife clattered off his hand and fell to the ground harmlessly. He peered into the dark corner from whence the knife came.

"Tachyon." He said in his accustomed monotone.

A small violet light appeared in the darkness. "I knew you'd catch it, Muon." A tiny voice giggled. "You're so much fun to play with."

"I have something to ask you, Tachyon." The violet point of light expanded, illuminating the small figure in the shadows. Tachyon appeared to be a beautiful child, perhaps eight years old, though Muon knew for a fact she had had that appearance for many, many years now. Her skin was like flawless porcelain, and her face was absolutely angelic. Her light purple hair streamed out behind her, almost touching the ground as she walked.

She wore black stockings under a sheer purple skirt that spread very slightly around her, with a split up the front that revealed her legs to just past her knees. Above that, she had on a vest of the same color of the skirt that hugged her tightly and left her shoulders and arms bare. Her hands were encased in black gloves that extended to just past her elbows.

She was peering down at her hands, cupped around the gleaming point of violet light that illuminated her corner. "Lady Meson said I should keep my mind on my duties." She said in a soft, singsong tone. "She wouldn't let me help poor Gluon."

"But will you help me?"

"Oh yes..." Tachyon replied, raising her head. Her large, lavender eyes glittered with a barely restrained madness. "Lord Hadron told me to always help you however I could. So I will."

Muon nodded a bit. "Tell me..." He made a waving motion with his hand, and a map of Tokyo appeared before him. Tachyon stood and stepped lightly over to look at it curiously. The child's powers of time were impressive, if rather unpredictable. It was their uncontrollable nature that kept her body and spirit forever restrained to a child's form. And it was that imprisonment that had broken her mind, filling her with a frustrated, never ending rage.

Such things, however, were of no real concern to Muon. "Tell me." He repeated. "Where should I attack to bring the one called Sailor Saturn out of hiding tomorrow?"

Tachyon looked at the map for a long moment. Her eyes unfocused as her mind wandered through the eddies of the timestream. Her small hand lifted, and her hand came down on the map at a particular point. "Here." She said absently. "She will appear if you attack here...though she will not be alone."

Muon took note of the location and nodded. "You said I would make my greatest discovery upon this world. Will this lead me to it?"

"Yes...but there are many bends in the path...I can't see...where..." Her eyes focused again and she smiled brightly. "That's all." Muon nodded, and Tachyon knelt down to pick up her knife. "The Sailor Senshi are so pretty..." She murmured. "Are they truly strong?"

"Yes." Muon replied.

"Good..." Tachyon giggled, lightly drawing one gloved finger over the knife's blade. "I hope Lord Hadron will let me play with them...my other toys break so easily..." Still giggling mindlessly, she vanished again into the shadows of the room. A moment later, Muon faded away.

He had much to do.

------------------

Ami's apartment was unusually quiet, given its current inhabitants. Normally Ami and Minako chatted and laughed as they helped each other study. But today, both were quietly going over their respective assignments, asking only occasional questions and receiving short, to the point answers.

Finally, Ami set down her English book and looked over at Minako until the blonde Senshi felt her eyes and looked up as well. "Minako-  
chan...are you upset with me?"

Minako blinked in surprise. "Upset?" She shook her head emphatically. "Of course not, Ami-chan. Why would I be?"

Ami looked worried. "You're just...different today. I know something's upsetting you. But I don't know what." She tilted her head. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Minako paused for a long moment. "I guess I..." She sighed. "No, I can't." At Ami's hurt look, she winced and shook her head. "Please don't take it like that. It's not that I don't trust you or anything, I promise." -I don't think so, anyway.- Her mind chimed in unhelpfully. "I just don't understand what's wrong myself." There, that was honest enough.

Ami thought that over for a moment. "I think I understand."

"I wish you could explain it to me then." Minako chuckled softly, drawing a smile out of her blue-haired friend. She smiled. "I'll tell you what...as soon as I figure this out, I'll talk to you about it. I just need some more time to think. Okay?"

"Okay." Ami said, smiling shyly. She took a deep breath and stretched. "Well, I guess we're not going to get much work done today, are we?"

Minako shrugged and smirked. "No...I guess not." She kicked her feet out a bit.

"Why don't you go on to the arcade, Minako-chan?" Ami said gently. "I need to get back to work."

Minako opened her mouth to speak, then sighed and shook her head. "Maybe that would be a good idea." She finally said. She stood up and gathered her things before heading to the door.

"Minako-chan." Ami's voice stopped her as she placed her hand on the knob. "I want you to be able to talk to me about what's bothering you. And I want to do the same with you."

Remembering Artemis' words, Minako turned back to Ami with a geniune smile. "I want that too, Ami-chan." Ami smiled back just as warmly, and Minako let herself out.

Once out on the street, Minako sighed as her feet led her towards Crown Arcade. "I do want that." She said to herself. "But how can I be sure that's really what she wants? I don't want to bother her...but I don't want to ditch her either. She's always too nice and too shy to speak up if something's annoying her...and I really don't want to do that. But I don't want to go back to the way things were, either."

She continued cycling the problem in her mind as she walked, going over the same series of points over and over, unable to reach a conclusion. When she arrived at the Arcade, she saw Usagi already there, along with Makoto. The two were taking turns with the new Sailor V game, of course. "Hi Usagi-chan, hi Mako-chan!" She waved.

"Hey Minako-chan." Makoto smiled as she saw the other girl. Usagi was too engrossed in the game to reply. "Want to play after Usagi?"

Minako shook her head. "No...I think I'm going to race for a little while."

Makoto nodded. "Sure..." She smiled oddly at Minako, who smiled back uncertainly, not sure what was going on. She decided to forget it and just headed towards the racing simulator. She sat behind the wheel, inserted a few coins, and started to race.

It was clear early on that this wasn't going to go well. Normally, she was able to use games as a chance to relax and forget about her problems. This time, thoughts of Ami kept making her mind wander. She crashed several times because she wasn't even watching the screen, her mind miles away on a certain blue-haired Senshi.

The last time she lost she pounded the steering wheel with her palms and sat back angrily. "Not really on your game today, huh?" A deep, familiar female voice said from behind her. Minako blinked and turned her head to look. Tall, her blonde hair cut short, wearing jeans and a leather jacket...Minako was certainly not mistaken.

"Haruka-kun! When did you get back?"

Haruka took the seat next to Minako's and dropped a few coins into the machine. "This morning. Michiru's back home taking a nap. I don't get jetlagged, so I thought I'd head here." She smiled over at the shorter girl. "Wanna race?"

Minako grinned and put her hands back on the wheel. "Sure...but don't think you can get away with giving me a head start anymore...you'll be sorry."

Haruka smirked teasingly. "The way you were just racing, I barely need to touch the wheel to beat you." Minako just glared and slammed her foot on the gas when the green light blinked. After just a few minutes, her car spun out of control and crashed into a building. Minako shut her lips tightly, holding back a muffled scream of frustration and gripped the wheel so lightly her fingers turned white. Haruka looked at her in surprise and let go of the wheel, folding her arms over her chest and looking at Minako.

"You can't play like that." She said softly, in a chiding tone. Her forgotten car smashed into another and 'game over' appeared on the screens. "You can't do anything when you're this wound up. What's the matter Minako-chan"

"Nothing." She replied shortly. Haruka just shrugged and closed her eyes, settling back against the seat. After a moment, Minako sighed and looked around. Usagi and Makoto were still playing, and there was nobody in ear shot. "It's Ami." She said, staring at the screen.

"Ami?" Haruka asked. "Setsuna told us how much time you two were spending together lately. Did you two have a fight or something?"

"No..." Minako shook her head. "She...needed my help with something. That's really why we've been together so much. But soon, she won't need me anymore. And I don't want things to go back to the way they were with us."

"Why not?"

"Because..." She closed her eyes and shook her head. There was too much there...far more than she was able to deal with now. "Because I think we've gotten a lot closer. And I don't just want us to be on the list of each other's friends."

"So what's the problem?" Haruka's casual, laconic questions were irritating Minako for some reason.

"She's Ami!" She replied in a short tone. "She's a solitary girl. I don't think she wants me tagging along with her all day everyday. She probably can't wait to get rid of me!"

Haruka made a small chuckling sound and Minako bristled. "What?"

"That doesn't make much sense." She turned her head to look over at the younger girl. "Think back...has Ami ever, ever shown any indication that she doesn't want to be around you"

"I...no." Minako finally said.

"In fact, I'll bet she's been just the opposite." Minako remembered how happy Ami seemed when the two of them were together, and how sad Ami had looked that day she thought Minako had left her at school.

"I guess so." She replied in a thoughtful tone.

"Hmph. So maybe it's not Ami that has the problem with the two of you together at all. Maybe it's you. Maybe...you're scared."

Minako blinked in surprise. "Scared? Why on earth would I be scared?" The look Haruka gave her at that was far too piercing for her taste, and she quickly looked away.

"I wonder..." The older woman said softly, as if Minako already knew the answer. Minako squirmed in her seat uncomfortably.

Haruka smiled. "Hey, didn't mean to upset you Minako-chan. But I think you need to decide what you want to do about Ami. Don't you?"

Minako sighed a bit. Looking back on it, her worries about Ami seemed kind of silly. But why was she still so jumbled up? "Yeah...I guess you're right." Haruka stood then, and smiled.

"I guess I've been away from home long enough. Think about it, okay Minako-chan?" She turned to leave. "Oh..." She turned her head with that knowing look again. "And when you decide you need to talk about this some more, Michiru and I are always ready." She slipped quietly out of the arcade. Minako wandered back over to where the other two girls were.

"Hi Minako-chan, how was Haruka?" Usagi asked as she approached. "We were too busy playing to talk."

Minako smiled. "Oh, she's fine. She's still a little tired from her trip, I guess."

"What were you two talking about?" Makoto asked over her shoulder.

"Nothing much..." Minako blinked. "Hey, when did Motoki get DDR Remix in here?" She exclaimed with enthusiasm only half-faked. "It's about time!" She rushed over to the game and began dancing. The other two girls watched in bemusement as a crowd formed around the Senshi of Love as she proceeded to set a few arcade records.

------------------

Minako left the arcade a couple of hours later. Talking with Haruka actually set her mind at ease about a few things, and she was soon able to loosen up. After decimating DDR for awhile, she went back to the racing game and did much better, defeating both Makoto and Usagi handily. Usagi had had to leave at that point, but Makoto stuck around to watch Minako play as her alter ego in the Sailor V game.

She and Makoto left at about the same time. "So how are things, Minako-chan?" She brunette Senshi asked.

Minako grinned. "Great! Did you see me take out that final boss?"

Makoto smiled. "That's not really what I meant. I mean, how are you?"

Minako smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, you know I'm always great Mako-chan."

"Yeah, I guess so." Makoto chuckled. "Do you know how Ami's been? She's been working so hard lately."

"Oh..." A little quaver crept into Minako's voice, but her smile didn't crack. "I saw her this afternoon. She's fine...a little overworked, but she's just fine."

"That's good..." Makoto paused for a long moment, and the two kept on walking in silence. "You two sure have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"Yeah...I guess we have." Minako smiled softly at that. Makoto glanced over at her and was able to barely suppress a grin.

"Been having fun?"

"I have...we have." Minako took a deep breath. "She's a really good friend."

Makoto nodded a bit. "In fact..." Minako continued. "I think she wanted to talk with me about something." She smiled over at the Senshi of Thunder. "Think you can make it home without me?"

Makoto grinned. "I think I'll be okay." Makoto continued to grin as she watched Minako head up a street that lead to Ami's apartment building. "I knew it!" She whispered gleefully.

------------------

Ami was getting a glass of water when the bell rang. Her computer continued to process its data of the city quietly. Right now, it only needed occasional input from her to gather its findings in a way she could use. She glanced at the clock. It was getting sort of late...her mother would be home for dinner soon. But then, she wouldn't ring the bell, would she?

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Minako standing there. "Minako-chan!" She stepped aside. "Come on inside."

"Thanks." Minako said. Once she was inside, the two of them looked at each other for a long moment. "Um...Haruka and Michiru are back in town." Minako finally offered.

"Oh...good." Ami smiled. "We'll need all of the Senshi together to look after all the faultlines."

"Yeah..." There was another long pause. "Ami-chan..." Minako took a deep, steadying breath. "When your test is over, and you're finished studying...we can still hang out together, right?"

Ami blinked in surprise. "Well...of course!"

Minako looked a little taken aback at her matter-of-fact affirmative. "I just worried...I mean...I know you like your privacy and I didn't want to bother you..." She trailed off awkwardly, blushing.

Ami blinked at her again, then smiled softly, covering her mouth with one hand as she began to laugh. Minako looked at her. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry." Ami said, giggling happily. "It's just...was that what had you so worried today?"

Minako blushed even deeper. "Well...yes."

Ami sighed happily and reached over and took Minako's hand in hers, smiling. "Minako-chan..." Minako actually managed to blush a bit deeper at that. "Listen...you've always been my friend."

"And you've always been my friend, Ami-chan."

Ami nodded. "Yes...but I've really gotten fond of you since we started all of this." She smiled. "There's really nobody I'd rather spend time with than you. You're my best friend." She said simply.

Minako's hand began to tremble very slightly in Ami's, and Ami released it. "You're my best friend too." Minako replied in almost a whisper. She took a few deep breaths and began to come back to herself, the redness in her cheeks fading away.

"So." Ami asked in a teasingly severe, maternal tone. "Are you going to be okay, Little Miss Minako?"

Minako looked a little more lively as she replied back in a petulant, child-like voice. "Oh, I guess...but can I have a cookie too?" Ami burst out laughing at that, and Minako joined her. When their laughter finally subsided, Minako stretched and smiled. "Well, I'd better head home."

"I should get ready for dinner...Mother will be home soon and we're going to make curry together." "That must be nice..." Minako said wistfully. Something in her tone suddenly made Ami feel rather sad.

"You're welcome to stay and help, if you want." Ami offered. But Minako just shook her head.

"Nah...I don't want to intrude. And besides, Artemis is such an old lady. He must be worrying about me already." She grinned. "Thanks Ami-chan." Impulsively, she reached out and gave Ami a warm hug. Ami looked surprised, but returned it after just a moment. The time began to stretch out, and the two slowly started to embrace each other more tightly.

Finally Minako froze. She released her friend as quickly as she could without being obvious about it, and both turned their heads to hide the flush on both their cheeks. "Well..." Minako said in a voice that shook very slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course!" Ami replied, that same tremble in her own voice. As soon as Minako had closed the door behind her, Ami sped into the kitchen and took everything out of the cupboards for dinner with incredible speed and efficiency. Then she began chopping vegetables. Her mind was blazing in a thousand directions at once initially, but soon she was able to drop everything else into the background.

-Chop chop chop...finished. Chop chop chop. Chop chop chop...finished.- There really wouldn't be too much for Ami's mother to do at this rate, but Ami found the repeating motion of the knife so soothing. An annoying voice in the back of her head told her that there was something she needed to stop and think about, but she ignored it. There were too many complications in her life already.

------------------

Minako rushed out of the apartment building and collapsed into a bus stop bench as soon as she could, laughing. She honestly couldn't remember ever feeling this way before. Her hands were shaking, her insides felt like jelly, and she just could not stop laughing.

Ami...how could she have ever imagined anything could be wrong between the two of them. Silly Minako. Slowly, her laughter started to subside. She felt so incredibly good right now...nothing could bother her. There were still issues to be decided, still questions she couldn't deal with. For that matter, there was still a new enemy who could attack at any time. They could all be dead tomorrow.

But none of that mattered. She sprawled back on the bench, a big, goofy smile plastered over her face. -Haruka's right.- She acknowledged to herself. -I am scared. I don't know of what, but I am. But I don't care right now.- Right now, the fear welling up inside her was the fear of a person on a rollercoaster, slowly coming up that first big hill. Terrified, but so very eager to see what happened next.

Minako heard her stomach rumble, and decided it was probably time for her to grab some dinner as well. She stood and headed home, practically dancing as she walked.

------------------

AUTHORS NOTE: Hi all! I thought I'd try this new format for the notes. I'm trying to keep an even pace with things between Ami and Minako...not too fast, but not keeping it too slow, either. And of course, it has to keep pace with the action of the story!

Well, keep on reading, and I hope you're liking it so far. Speaking of action...big fight next time...probably the biggest so far!


	6. Chapter 6

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 6

It was a beautiful, if rather crisp, Wednesday morning, and Ami was waiting nervously by Minako's front door. Artemis had hopped down to her shoulders to say hello and then dashed off for parts unknown, leaving the Senshi of Water along to await Minako's arrival.

Ami hoped her friend was feeling better. Despite their talk last night, Minako had just seemed so down the day before. Frustrated, confused, sad...and maybe even scared. Ami had no idea why she thought Minako was frightened, or by what, but her gut reaction that that was the case was so strong that she couldn't discount it.

As for Ami herself, after finishing the curry with her mother and eating, she had thrown herself into analyzing the data her computer had gathered, staying up probably quite a bit later than she should have. In the process, she had all but forgotten the incredibly strong emotions that had washed over her as Minako had held her in her arms. Nothing was left but a warmth felt deep in her chest, and a vague feeling of disquiet if she let her mind wander too long.

Minako finally stepped out, favoring Ami with a bright, sunny smile. "Good morning, Ami-chan!" She chirped.

Ami smiled back. "Good morning, Minako-chan! Artemis already left...he was really in a rush. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, everything's fine." Minako said with a laugh. "There's a seafood place a few streets over that gets some deliveries this morning, and Artemis likes to see if anything can be persuaded to 'fall off the truck.'"

"I should have known." Ami said with a chuckle. "Well, shall we?"

"Of course!" Minako beamed. She grabbed Ami around the shoulders and pointed towards school, a bold smile on her face. "To school! The journey of a thousand miles begins with another man's shoes!"

Ami closed her eyes and her smile looked a bit pained. "I'm not sure that proverb goes quite like that..." But Minako was already walking. Ami just shrugged with a smile and walked after her. "I'm glad you're feeling better." She said quietly.

Minako turned her head towards her friend with a smile and a wink. "Are you sure I am?" The question was asked teasingly, but there was an undertone of seriousness to it. Ami nodded in response.

"Yes, I am." She smiled at the blonde girl. "I know you act energetic and happy, even when you don't really feel that way. But I think I can tell the difference now."

"Oh no...my camouflage is ruined! What am I going to do now?" Minako gasped, holding her head back and throwing her arm over her face. She held that position, still walking, for a very long moment, and Ami began to laugh. Minako finally took her arm off her eyes and laughed as well...then made a far more undignified sound as she ran into a lamppost and fell heavily on her backside. "Owwwww!"

"Mina-chan!" Ami gasped, kneeling down next to her. "Are you alright?"

Minako held her nose and checked her hand. "Well, I guess I'm not bleeding." She rubbed the back of her head and smiled ruefully, blushing a bit. "Guess I should watch where I'm going, huh?"

Ami stood and held out a hand. Minako took it gratefully and rose to her feet. Ami walked around Minako, carefully brushing away any dust she saw on the girl's uniform. "Did you call me Mina-chan?" Minako suddenly asked.

Ami blinked. "I guess I did." She walked back to Minako's front and tilted her head. "Do you not like it?"

Minako was blushing and smiling softly. "No...I like it." The two stood there smiling at each other for a moment. A bell suddenly rang from the clock in a nearby building. Both jumped and looked up at it.

"We're going to be late!" Ami groaned. Both began running. They managed to make it to the schoolyard with only seconds to spare. Yet, as if they had planned it, both took just a moment for a hug before dashing off in separate directions.

------------------

That same morning, in another part of Tokyo, a meeting was taking place on the roof of an upscale boutique. Three daeva knelt on the roof, waiting quietly. At long last, Muon appeared, stepping through one of the black, swirling portals that closed quickly behind him. He looked around, his robes billowing slightly and his long hair flowing back in the crisp breeze. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction and turned his gaze to the three creatures before him.

They were all of the same type; female, almost human in appearance if one ignored the blue-gray skin tone. Each wore a blank metal mask over their face, completely smooth with no holes visible, not even for eyes. The one to Muon's left had short cropped black hair and was clothed in a black scarf that wound at random all around her legs, arms and torso, leaving a fair amount of skin bare, but with no sign of where the cloth ended.

The one to the right had slate grey hair that trailed behind her in two long tails. She was clad in truly evil looking armor that was vaguely roman in design, with high armored boots and gauntlets but bare thighs and arms. It was gleaming chrome and bristled with spikes and hooks in all directions.

The daeva in the center had no hair except for a white topknot that hung to the side of her head. She appeared to be dressed only in chains, chains that wrapped all around her body, leaving no part of her visible except her hands. The chains appeared to be animated somehow, sliding against themselves like snakes, creating a soft, metallic sliding sound.

Muon looked at them for a long moment. "Ryoujin." He finally said. They responded, speaking in turn, first the one to the left, then to the right, then center. Their voices sounded hollow beneath their masks.

"Zetsubou."

"Semeku."

"Shieki." The one in the center looked up. "We are the Ryoujin. What is our prey, Muon?"

"The Sailor Senshi." He replied emotionlessly.

"The Sailor Senshi are powerful." Semeku said. "Lord Hadron has said he wishes them destroyed, not captured."

Muon nodded. "Yes...but I only want one." A shimmering image of Sailor Saturn appeared before him. "This one, known as Saturn. Be careful with her, she is far more dangerous than she appears."

"You have given us the tools to hold her. But how will we find her?" Shieki asked.

"Attack this building at the appointed time, and the Sailor Senshi will come. Saturn will be among them. Use the tools I provided you to hold her, and I will come to collect her."

"And the other Sailor Senshi?"

"Kill them if they persist, ignore them if they flee. Your mission is to catch Sailor Saturn. The others are nothing."

Shieki made a sound that might have been a laugh. "We are the Ryoujin of Hadron. We have never failed to catch our prey. Sailor Saturn is already ours."

Muon nodded again and stepped back into the portal that opened behind him. Another instant later, and the Ryoujin were gone as well, moving too fast for the eye to follow.

------------------

Miles away, at the home shared by the Outer Senshi, Haruka and Michiru were in their bedroom. Haruka was lounging on the bed, leafing lazily through a book. Michiru, on the other hand, was unpacking her bag, separating her clothing and generally making herself useful. She stopped in the middle of unfolding a blouse to look over at her partner. "Haruka, you could be unpacking too, you know."

The short haired woman lifted her book a bit higher so she could look under it to see Michiru. "It'd be too awkward with the two of us fumbling around all over the place."

Michiru gave Haruka a smile slightly tinged with exasperation. "I thought we said we were too tired to unpack yesterday, and that we'd do it today."

Haruka laid the book over her face and closed her eyes. "No, you said that. I was all ready to unpack yesterday, but I'm too tired now. We can try again tomorrow."

The Senshi of the Sea placed her hands on her hips. The effect, however, was somewhat spoiled by the way her mouth kept twitching upwards. "Tenoh Haruka! This is not going to be like the last time we took a trip."

"What was wrong with the last time?"

"You never unpacked...you just kept taking clothes out of your suitcase until it was empty."

Haruka shrugged lightly. "It worked...I ironed it all myself. What's the big deal?"

Michiru growled softly. "It's a suitcase not a dresser!"

"Multi-functional items are more efficient."

"Haruka!" Haruka laughed and slid out of bed, walking over to give Michiru a warm hug. She began kissing her lightly on her tightly pursed lips. After just a few moments, Michiru relented and smiled, returning both the hug and the kisses. Haruka held her a little tighter and the kisses became more serious.

"Mmph!" The sea-haired woman lightly pushed her lover back with a laugh. "No, Haruka, you're not getting out of unpacking like that either."

"It was worth a try." Haruka chuckled.

"Now, hurry up." Michiru said, lightly slapping Haruka with the blouse she had been folding. "We still need to take Hotaru to get some new winter clothes before we head to the restaurant."

"Right..." Haruka lifted one of her suitcases onto the bed and began unpacking. "Is Setsuna going to be able to join us?"

Michiru shook her head. "No...she has to work late at the university."

Haruka nodded. "I hope she relaxes a little...she seems wound pretty tight."

"She's worried, Haruka. Wouldn't you be, if you were her? She's always been able to see an enemy on the timeline. For them to be hiding from her so completely...it has to be very unnerving."

"I'm finding it pretty unnerving myself." Haruka admitted with a smirk. "I'm just glad we have Ami. I hope she finishes soon...knowing where to watch for an attack would be very convenient."

"Speaking of Ami..." Michiru said, putting some things away in her closet. "Are you sure about her and Minako?"

Haruka shrugged. "Of course...at least as far as Minako's concerned. I haven't talked with Ami yet, and she's a little harder to read anyway. And I'm just about positive Makoto is thinking the same thing, given the looks she was giving Minako in the arcade." She chuckled, moving over to her dresser. "Besides, you saw Setsuna when she told us they'd been spending so much time together. She might not be able to see our enemy, but she obviously knows something about those two."

Michiru nodded absently. "I suppose so. Should we do anything?"

Haruka smiled a bit. "I don't think so. I told Minako she could talk to us if she needed to, and I'd be willing to bet she'll make the first move."

"Ami might just surprise you, Haruka." Michiru replied, smiling mysteriously. The two continued unpacking quietly, moving around each other with the unconscious ease that only years of companionship could provide.

------------------

When the bell for lunch rang, Minako headed outside to eat with the other Senshi, as usual. However, as she was walking down the hall, Ami ran up behind her. "Minako-chan! Wait a second."

Minako blinked and stopped obligingly. The two of them moved to the side of the hall to allow others to pass by them. "What is it Ami-chan?"

Ami looked very apologetic and embarrassed. "I just needed to tell you that...well...we're going to need to cancel our study session today."

"What?" Minako just stared at her. "What's the matter?"

"I have a previous engagement." Ami shrugged slightly, looking down slightly. "I'm really sorry, but I just completely forgot about it until I was sitting in class just now."

It was clear that Ami felt very badly about it, and despite her disappointment, Minako couldn't help but want to make her feel better. "No, it's okay Ami-chan. I know, you've been really busy lately. We'll make up for it later, right?" She sighed a bit, but smiled. "So what's going on?"

"Oh...I'm getting something to eat with Mamoru. We do it every Wednesday." Ami smiled lightly. "Thanks for understanding, Minako-  
chan...it would just be really rude to cancel on such short notice."

"No problem." Minako said, keeping the smile plastered on her face. "Why don't you go ahead and find Usagi and Mako-chan? I'll catch up."

"Sure!" Ami smiled widely and headed off down the hall. As she left Minako's sight, the blonde senshi clenched her fists and began pacing in a tight circle, trying to fight down the angry surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.

"So as busy as she is she can take time off to hang out with Mamoru and not me?" She fumed to herself. She could barely understand why she was reacting to this so strongly. She could feel tears running down her cheeks, for heaven's sake!

She took a few more minutes to get herself under control, then carefully wiped her face before heading outside and finding the others. "Hi guys!" She waved with a bright smile as she bounced over. Everyone waved and greeted her, and she sat down and opened her lunch. But she had absolutely no appetite and ended up just picking listlessly at her food.

"Are you eating that?" The voice at her elbow made her jump a little, and she found Usagi staring avidly at her meal.

"No...you can have it." She handed her lunch box to the pigtailed senshi, who promptly dug in with gusto. She glanced over to where Makoto was talking to Ami, getting a little help with some homework that was due in the her next class. She sighed, drumming her fingers against her knee.

"Something wrong Minako-chan?" Usagi asked, her voice muffled by a mouthful of food.

"No..." Minako sighed. She glanced over at Usagi as a thought struck her. "Say, Usagi-chan...did you know Ami and Mamoru have dinner on Wednesdays?"

Usagi nodded vigorously. "Oh, sure..." She swallowed and smiled. "I come with them sometimes, but they usually talk about physics and stuff, so I can't really follow any of it." She shrugged carelessly and continued to eat.

"But it doesn't bother you or anything?" Minako pressed. "I mean, it doesn't...it doesn't make you..." She struggled to get the word out.

"Jealous?" Usagi laughed, not getting any food on Minako by sheer luck. "Of course not!" Minako noticed Makoto and Ami glancing over at Usagi's outburst.

"Usagi-chan, shhh!" She whispered frantically. Usagi blinked and nodded.

"Sorry..." She said more quietly. "Anyway, no, I'm not jealous. Ami and Mamoru are just friends...they're both really busy so it's hard for them to hang out together." She giggled. "I know they don't feel that way about each other, and even if they did, they'd never do anything like that."

"Yeah..." Minako grinned, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess you're right. Just forget I said anything." She laughed a bit. "So, did you finish that manga collection Rei lent you? Because I'd like to take a look at it."

Usagi winced. "Oh, right. Well, I didn't really ask her if I could borrow it, so she was kind of mad when she figured out that I took it. So I don't really have it anymore..."

"Usagi-chan!" Minako laughed. They continued to talk, Minako putting up her usual energetic front. Beneath that, however, she continued to seethe. The conversation with Usagi hadn't really made her feel any better about missing out on her time with Ami. And it raised some questions about Minako's reaction that the Senshi of Love absolutely did not want to think about.

Minako continued to brood through the rest of the school day. Luckily, the classes she had after lunch weren't ones she paid much attention to anyway, so she wasn't missing out on much. She stayed behind for a few extra minutes before leaving the building, not wanting to run into anyone on the way out.

The walk home seemed incredibly lonely without Ami. In addition to the lonely ache she felt, a knotted little core of anger still boiled in the pit of her stomach. "What difference does it make to me who she hangs out with? We're only best friends...I thought we were, anyway." She muttered as she kicked her feet with each step.

She stomped her way inside and angrily kicked off her shoes. She could hear her mother saying something to her, but she ignored the woman on her way to her room and slammed the door. A quick look around revealed that Artemis was nowhere to be seen, so she flung herself on her bed, buried her face in her arms and began to cry softly.

She pounded her mattress with her fists in frustration. "Why do I feel like this?" She whispered harshly, turning over and hugging a pillow tightly to her chest. "I don't understand...I don't like this." With a thousand emotions she couldn't identify churning in her heart, she pulled the pillow over her face and continued to quietly weep.

------------------

The unconventional family unit of Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru stepped into the boutique, Hotaru coming in first and Haruka and Michiru holding hands behind. Hotaru was carrying several bags from another store. Haruka was wearing her favorite leather jacket, but Michiru was only wearing a maroon knit sweater to keep out the cold evening.

"I'm glad I looked my coat over before I put it on!" Michiru chuckled, leaning into Haruka slightly. "With all those holes, I would have been twice as cold as I am now." She sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe I forgot to mothball it when I put it away last year."

Haruka made a tsking sound and pulled Michiru close. "I keep telling you how good you'd look in a leather jacket...you wouldn't really have to worry about moths then."

Michiru gave Haruka a sidelong glance. "Now Haruka, I keep telling you no leather...outside of the bedroom, anyway." Haruka released her partner and covered her mouth to cough slightly, a small blush climbing up her cheeks. Michiru laughed gently and gave the taller woman a playful little shove.

"Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa!" Hotaru called to the two of them. "I found the coats over here!"

Haruka nodded over to the younger girl and the two began making their way towards their child, arm in arm. When they had crossed about half the distance, there was a sudden, massive detonation from above them, and the ceiling collapsed. The staff and customers shrieked loudly as the lights shorted out and the store filled with dust. Haruka yanked Michiru behind her protectively. "Hotaru!" She cried out, trying to see through the debris. "Hotaru!"

She was about to charge forward when she felt Michiru's hand on her shoulder. She turned around, then turned back to see what the sea-haired woman was pointing at. Illuminated faintly from the light coming in through the rather large hole in the ceiling, three figures were standing in the middle of the chaos. Though they were obscured by dust, there was a definite feeling of wrongness to them. Haruka set her mouth grimly. "Right."

She and Michiru ducked behind a display of shirts near the far wall, far from where the three daeva were standing.

"URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

Sailor Uranus squeezed Sailor Neptune's hand gently. "Find Hotaru...I'll distract them." Neptune nodded and the two both leapt over the display and ran in different directions, Neptune circling round to where Hotaru was and Uranus running right towards the daeva. Just about everyone had fled the store already, and the few that were injured in the ceiling's collapse were now hobbling out of the doors.

Uranus stood on the edge of the pile of rubble, looking up at the daeva as the dust settled. She clicked her tongue as she saw them more fully and recognized their lethality. "Alright, daeva!" She called out, and all three turned to look at her. "I know what you're here for, and I'm going to stop you. I am Sailor Uranus, and if you're smart, you'll run now." She was looking around desperately for an object like the pyramid Setsuna had told them about, but there was nothing like that visible.

Sheiki stepped forward and lifted her fist, her chains sliding around and rising off her hand and arm and writhing like tentacles. "We are the Ryoujin of Lord Hadron. You are not our prey, Sailor Uranus, and you would be wise to flee now." The chains snapped to attention, standing straight and rigid, and a series of glittering spines poked out of them.

"Lord Hadron, huh?" Uranus smirked. She abruptly launched into an attack, holding her arm above her head. "Take this! WORLD SHAKING!" The orange ball of energy zigzagged up the pile of debris and detonated at the top, but the three daeva leapt nimbly out of the way just in time. Uranus leapt forward, turning in the air as she did so, landing on one knee halfway up the pile and looking back and forth for her opponents.

Acting more on instinct than thought, she threw herself to the side just as a collecting of hooked spikes embedded themselves deeply in the concrete where she had just been. She turned to the side to see Semeku standing on an overturned rack, the spikes she had launched from her armor replaced by new ones that appeared in a light glow. "You're quick." She said hollowly, a smile in her voice that couldn't be seen through the blank mask. "But not quick enough!" She threw her fists forward and a shower of needles poured out of her gauntlets.

Uranus jumped out of the way, but not in time to stop a few of the needles from embedding themselves in her calf. They melted away in a noxious mist a moment later, but a searing, blinding agony made her stumble and roll part of the way to the floor.

She struggled to her feet, but everything went pitch black as she did so. She looked around desperately, finally seeing the one thing still visible, Zetsubou, her scarf spiraling out from her wrists and expanding into the chill darkness that surrounded them both. She leapt towards the daeva, but chains suddenly appeared around her ankles, and she fell to the invisible ground with a painful thud.

The darkness vanished, and she looked up to see Sheiki standing there, chains from her chest binding Uranus's legs together. The chains pulled upwards, and Uranus found herself hanging upside down, eye level with the daeva's leader. "I told you to run." Sheiki hissed.

"I told you the same thing." Uranus glared back fearlessly. She looked behind Sheiki and smiled. Shieki turned just in time to see the Silence Glaive fly out and sever the chains holding Uranus. The shining links dulled and fell limply to the ground, and Shieki shrieked in physical pain, tumbling down the pile of rubble. Uranus landed on her feet and jumped up, standing with Neptune and Saturn on top of the pile.

Shieki turned her blank mask towards Sailor Saturn. "There she is!" She called out harshly. She pounded her fists against the ground, and a mass of chains streaked out from her back, so quickly they blurred in the air. Without warning they gripped Sailor Saturn around the arms, legs and waist and flung her back behind Shieki. It happened in the blink of an eye, far too quickly to react to.

In an instant, the other Ryoujin were there, arranged around the bound Saturn in a triangle. Each one held out a blue jewel, and each jewel extended a beam of blue light to the other jewels. Once they had joined, they left their bearer's hands and contracted until they were almost touching Saturn's body. A field of blue surrounded her, and Sheiki removed her chains, but Saturn still stood rigid. A wave of lightning crackled around her, and the young senshi cried out in pain.

"Saturn!" Neptune and Uranus cried out at the same time. They were already in the air, having leapt to her air the instant she had been seized. They landed at the bottom of the pile, and faced off against the three daeva standing between them and their daughter.

"I think we need help." Neptune murmured. Uranus said nothing, but nodded with a very grim look on her face.

------------------

Ami and Mamoru had met for an early dinner in a little sushi bar Mamoru was quite fond of. The two were initially very eager to talk about a recent article both had read regarding some exciting new developments in superstring theory, but before too long, Mercury was trailing off, poking listlessly at her food with her chopsticks and offering only half-hearted responses to Mamoru.

"Ami-chan." Mamoru finally said. "Is everything alright?"

Ami looked up and offered a small smile. "Of course, Mamoru-kun. I just..." She shook her head and sighed. "Never mind."

Mamoru smiled. "You just seem really distracted. I hope it's not because you're too busy to be here."

Ami shook her head. "No, it's not that." She sighed again. "I just wish I hadn't had to leave Minako behind."

"Oh..." Mamoru nodded. "You two have been together a lot lately. Have you gotten closer?" Ami smiled again, a gentle, genuine smile this time.

"Oh yes...I guess you could say we're best friends now!" A tiny amount of pink appeared on her cheeks as she spoke. "I know that might seem kind of strange, with us being so different, but she's really very special. She's funny and kind and energetic...and she's actually very smart. She'd be doing much better in school if she could concentrate more."

Mamoru was smiling. "I don't think that sounds strange at all. You can be best friends with whoever you want, you know. And it only makes sense that it would be with another Senshi."

"That's true." Ami nodded softly. "I guess only another Senshi would understand a lot of what we feel." She smiled, an almost dreamy look on her face. "But...Minako is really the first person I've met that I've felt like I can really open up to, and who can really open up to me. She keeps a lot inside too, you know? I guess we do have that in common." She was mostly speaking to herself at this point. Mamoru was looking at her a thoughtful expression on his face.

Ami caught the look and glanced up. "What is it?"

Mamoru smiled a bit. "Oh...I was just thinking. When you talk like that it almost sounds..." He was cut off by the sound of Ami's communicator.

"This is Uranus." The voice said tersely. "Neptune, Saturn and I are at the Eternity Boutique in the Juuban Shopping District. We need help from anyone close. Now." The signal cut off and Ami and Mamoru looked at each other.

"I know where that is." Mamoru said, standing. "It's close."

"Lead the way." Ami replied. Minutes later, Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Mercury were leaping over the rooftops of Tokyo, Tuxedo Kamen in the lead and Mercury following just a step behind.

The Eternity Boutique had ended. There was a gaping hole in the three story building that the two landed next to when they arrived. They peered down into the darkness, hearing the sounds of a fierce battle below. Without a word, they looked at each other and leapt downwards, landing on the top of a massive pile of rubble.

They arrived just in time to see Neptune launch an attack at Zetsubou, who was trying to entrap the Senshi of the Sea in her darkness. "DEEP SUBMERGE!" The attack washed over the daeva, who arched back and writhed in apparent agony, but didn't make a sound. Neptune couldn't follow up, however, as she had to leap away from the spikes that Semeku was continually launching out of her armor.

On the other side of the pile Uranus was facing off against Sheiki in front of the trapped Saturn, who still struggled against her bonds, pain etched into her face. Uranus leapt and dodged around the chains that flew at her, managing to land a solid kick in the daeva's mask. Shieki stumbled back a few feet, but did not fall. Her mask was undamaged.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" The freezing water attack boiled out and struck Zetsubou as she was climbing to her feet. Ice formed all around her limbs and she twisted in an attempt to free herself. Mercury leapt down from the pile to stand back to back with Sailor Neptune. "Sailor Mercury!" Neptune said, relieved. "Glad you could come!"

"Me too...what's going on? They don't have a wedge, and this isn't one of the places I was looking at. What do they want?"

"Saturn!" Neptune said, staring carefully at Semeku as Mercury did the same for Zetsubou. "I don't know why, but they came for her."

"Saturn?" Any further questions were cut off, however, as both daeva leapt to the attack at once.

On the other side, Tuxedo Kamen had thrown a rose directly in front of Sheiki as she had prepared to attack again, causing both her and Uranus to look up, Uranus with a grin on her face. Shieki flung her arm out towards Tuxedo Kamen, and the warrior jumped out of the way nimbly, letting the chains splinter the concrete he had just stood on. He took his cane from his cape, and it extended, hitting Shieki squarely in the chest and pushing her off balance as Tuxedo Kamen dove into the fight.

"Help Saturn!" He called out. "I'll take care of this." Uranus nodded and darted to where Saturn stood immobile.

"Don't worry Hotaru." She said softly as she examined the jewels that help her imprisoned. "I'll get you out of this."

"Haruka...papa..." Saturn said weakly, moving her head slightly to look at Uranus. Her eyes widened. "Look out!" Uranus spun around, but no attack came. Muon stood there, illuminated in the light of the field holding Sailor Saturn. He looked at Uranus with apparent disinterest.

"I am taking her with me." He said tonelessly. "Step aside."

Uranus took a fighting stance, placing herself directly between Muon and Saturn. "Never." She said. "Who are you? Are you Hadron?"

Muon shook his head. "No...I am Muon. I am simply Hadron's ally in the conquest of this world. But I want Sailor Saturn for my own purposes. Let me take her. I can promise that she will live longer as the object of my studies than she will if she remains here."

"Oh? And why is that?" Uranus spat the words.

"Because you will all die when Hadron takes this world as his own. It is inevitable." Muon set his hand at his side and drew his saber. The blade was a polished blued metal, perfectly mirroring everything around it. It was so sharp that it almost seemed to cut the air as it moved through it. "Now step aside." He repeated. "Or be the first to die."

"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" The golden, curved blade of energy sped out towards Muon, who sidestepped so quickly it was barely visible. The blade collided with a half-buried rack of clothing and detonated. Uranus was already moving, giving Muon barely enough time to raise his blade to block the downward slash Sailor Uranus aimed at him. The two stood motionless for a long moment, Uranus glaring at Muon who looked back with a look of blank indifference.

Finally the two separated, Uranus jumping back to a defensive position in front of Saturn. "This isn't over." She said defiantly.

"No." Muon agreed, a breeze from outside causing his long, cobalt hair to stream out before him. "It isn't." Uranus ran at him again, and the sound of their blades colliding filled the store, adding to the sounds of the fierce battle raging within.

------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My first cliffhanger! I promise, I won't make a big habit out of it. :P It's just a really big fight and I had some plot to work in as well. The next part will be out really soon, I promise.

I don't own Sailormoon, but I do own the original characters here. Be warned, lest you suffer my wrath.


	7. Chapter 7

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 7

Sailor Venus raced over the streets of Tokyo, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with a speed and agility that was more than human. So early in the evening, when the sky was still violet and the starts were just beginning to come to life, the streets were far too full to run on as a Sailor Senshi. The roofs were really the only way to go.

Sirens and screams were the first sign that Venus was getting close to the scene of the attack. She took up a perch on a building a few stories higher than the boutique to look at the situation. The police had put a barrier all around the building, and there were numerous ambulances and fire trucks close by. The paramedics had their hands full with the injured from the store. Thus far, the cops were just manning the barrier and keeping the crowd away. A bright flash from inside coupled with an explosion that shook the ground explained why.

Venus rolled her eyes and made a disdainful face. Oh sure, to Protect and Serve...until things got hard. Then it was time to hang back and let the superheroes do everything. Not that the cops ever showed any appreciation or made life easier for 'vigilantes,' but they let the heroes do everything anyway.

Since going through the front door didn't seem like an option, she followed the path taken by Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Mercury moments before and landed on the building's roof, crouched by the large hole in the center of it. She glanced up and saw a few dots moving towards her across the rooftops on the other side, so Venus decided to wait before heading inside.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars arrived together, Sailor Jupiter just a few steps behind from another direction. "Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon called out as she landed. "What's going on?" Another flash came from inside, and the building shook. Sailor Moon shook her head. "I'm glad Chibi-Usa's with my family right now." She said, looking worried.

"I just got here myself." Venus said. "I saw you all, so I thought we should all go in together." She stood up. "Now, let's go!" Without a second thought, she jumped into the dark hole, sure the others would follow.

When they landed, their eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, allowing them to see the battle raging within. The fight against the Ryoujin was more or less a standoff now, Mercury, Neptune and Tuxedo Kamen evading the attacks of the three daeva, but too hard-pressed to launch any attacks of their own.

The most intense fighting was taking place near where Sailor Saturn stood trapped. Sailor Uranus was attacking Muon as if she'd gone mad, fists, sword, feet and power lashing out again and again. Muon evaded and defended with a bizarre lack of interest, as if his own survival really meant nothing to him. His right hand held his sword, and his left glowed with a deep blue aura which he used to defend himself. From the knicks in Uranus' fuku, it was obvious that he had managed a few attacks of his own.

"Sailor Moon, you help Uranus!" Venus said, pointing. "Mars, Jupiter and I will help the others."

Muon had glanced up for just a moment as the other Senshi had jumped in. "Ryoujin! Hold them back!" Immediately the three daeva leapt over the heads of the senshi and landed directly between them and the site where Muon and Uranus battled. The two groups stared at each other for a moment, the only sound coming from where Uranus still fought.

Two thick ropes of twisted chains erupted from Sheiki's shoulders and slammed into the rubble that Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars had stood just a moment before. All the Senshi who had just arrived jumped back to join the warriors already gathered. "Sailor Senshi!" Sheiki shouted, her chains slowly weaving around her like vipers ready to strike. "This place is your tomb!"

Uranus pressed forward in her attack, pressing her glowing blade down against Muon's in a test of strength. Muon was pushed back slightly, a sheen of sweat on his face his only sign of exertion. "What's the matter Muon?" Uranus asked tauntingly. "Too scared to fight us all?"

Muon lifted an eyebrow. "You are proving more of a nuisance than I expected. I simply cannot allow my test subject to slip my grasp." He held his free hand up to Uranus' face and the blue aura expanded, blasting Uranus head over heels and sending her skidding backwards. She pulled herself quickly to her feet and leveled her sword at her opponent.

"You can't have her!" She yelled, a trickle of blood sliding down her cheek. She ran forward, pulling her sword back to slash at him from the side. Muon fell back into a defensive position and waited. But when Uranus was just out of striking range, she stopped and held her hand above her head. Muon's eyes widened slightly. "WORLD SHAKING!"

The ball of energy streaked at Muon along the ground, too fast to avoid. He slammed his blue-sheathed hand against the ground and the light expanded just as the attack struck. The shield protected him from the full brunt of the attack, but the explosion sent him flying, throwing him against a support pillar. Uranus ran at him as he rose to his feet, and the duel resumed.

Venus flipped away as a volley of curved spikes embedded themselves in the ground just behind her. Semeku and Sheiki were on the attack, their weapons flying constantly into the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, not letting up even for a moment. Tuxedo Kamen spun around as he sidestepped an attack from Sheiki. "Where's the other one?" As if to answer that question, the Sailor Senshi were suddenly enveloped in darkness.

As they looked around, trying to find their enemy, chains suddenly appeared in the darkness, catching Sailor Moon around the neck and limbs and lifting her into the air. "Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted, trying to pull the chains away.

"I'll get it!" Mars shouted. "FIRE..." She stopped, looking at her fingers. "My power!"

"Of course." A whispering, sibilant voice said softly, seeming to come from all around them. "Nothing can work in my darkness. Give up your lives now...it is hopeless." Zetsubou appeared a short distance away, her arms extended at her sides and her strange black covering appearing to pour from her palms.

"There!" Jupiter shouted, rushing forward. She cocked back her arm and threw a punishing blow at the daeva, but she just melted away into the darkness. Hissing laughter filled the air, and Sailor Moon began to choke as the chains tightened.

"No!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted, pulling frantically on the chains. The other Senshi tried to help him, but the shining links were too strong. The chains suddenly popped small, sharp spurs all over their links, and Sailor Moon gave a strangled cry of pain. The warriors continued to try to free their princess, ignoring the metal cutting into their hands.

"It is futile." Zutsubou's voice sounded again. "You will die here. This darkness is the only truth. Embrace it, and fall into oblivion."

"No!" Neptune shouted, turning away from Sailor Moon and facing into the darkness. "This darkness is a lie!" She held out her hand, and revealed her Talisman Mirror. "And I know how to show you the truth. SUBMARINE REFLECTION!"

"Useless...what?" The mirror brightened to life. The darkness literally began to burn away, revealing the store interior once more in great tears and rents. The mirror's light chased the strands of Zetsubou's blackness until it reached her body, where it continued to burn through, leaving her uncovered. As the last of the darkness vanished, Zetsubou let out a high, keening shriek. The light of Neptune's attack infused the daeva, making her shine from within as her body was burned away. Finally, her blank mask clattered to the ground, the rest of her having dissolved utterly.

"She couldn't survive without her darkness." Neptune said softly. "Her entire existence was just an illusion."

"You'll pay for that." Sheiki shouted. The chains around Sailor Moon tightened and she cried out weakly, her body almost limp.

"I don't think so!" Mars said. "FIRE SOUL!" This time the fire sped out, colliding with the chains and melting them through. Sailor Moon fell to the floor, gasping, and Tuxedo Kamen knelt to help her. Three conical spines thudded into his back, and he arched his back and cried out in agony. The spines vanished in an evil smelling mist, revealing they hadn't pierced through his cape, but Tuxedo Kamen fell on his back, gritting his teeth in pain.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon rasped, pulling herself upright. Blood ran from her neck and her waist where the chains had cut into her. Sailor Mercury was looking at Semeku through her computer visor.

"The spikes aren't real!" She exclaimed. "They can't really injure you, they just make you feel pain."

"Great Mercury." Tuxedo Kamen managed to struggle out. "But it still really, really hurts." He tried to rise, but a fresh wave of agony wracked his body, throwing him to the ground again. Sailor Moon cradled his head protectively.

Semeku began laughing. "And believe it or not, you can die from pain, little girl." The daeva threw her arms back and arched her back. "Let me show you!" A shower of spikes and blades flew out of her armor, glittering in the faint light.

"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!" The green orbs of energy flew out, colliding with the projectiles and destroying them in the air.

"Great shot Jupiter!" Venus exclaimed. She gasped as chains suddenly appeared around her, binding her arms to her sides and lifting her into the air. The chains hurled her against the ground, forcing the air out of her.

"Venus!" Mercury yelled, running forward. Neptune and Mars followed suit. Three streams of chains, each as thick as an arm, exploded from Sheiki's body, slamming the three Senshi in the stomach and sending them sprawling. Venus rose into the air and slammed into the ground again and again. Everything began to go all swimmy and faint. The sounds of the fight seemed to fade away, and she barely felt the impacts anymore.

Mercury yanked herself into a sitting position, holding her head. She looked around. Neptune and Mars had been hit harder than she, and lay prone on the ground. Jupiter was keeping Semeku busy, volleys of spines being answered by bolts of lightning. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen still knelt on the floor, both too injured to be of help.

Painfully, Mercury pulled herself to her feet. "Venus!" She shouted. "Please hang on, I'll help you!" Sheiki turned to look at her, but too late. "MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!" The streams of water sped out, twisting around the daeva, freezing her in a solid block of ice. The chains that held Venus fell limp, and she rolled to the ground, groaning weakly.

Mercury ran to her side, holding her hand tightly. "Venus!" She almost sobbed. "Please, wake up!" Venus cracked her eyes open and managed a weak smile. "Mercury..." She whispered. Mercury smiled back, tears in her eyes.

A barbed chain wrapped itself around Mercury's neck and lifted her into the air. Sheiki was still frozen, but the chains that had bound Venus were writhing around. Great cracks began to appear in the ice surface. Mercury could feel blood running down her chest and back from her neck. She struggled, but the chain just seemed to tighten.

Venus's eyes widened as her consciousness returned and she began to realize what was happening. Mercury looked down at her, and she could see the pain and panic in her friend's eyes. Venus clenched her fists and rose to her feet, ignoring the pain in her sides and head. "No!" She shouted. More cracks appeared in the ice.

"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

The golden energy hit the frozen daeva and detonated. The ice shattered, but so did Sheiki. Her frozen chains split and scattered, revealing patches of skin underneath. The jagged edges of the links seemed, disgustingly, to be bleeding, oozing a thick, rust-red liquid. Sheiki screamed and fell to the ground, writhing along with her remaining chains. After a moment, she fell limp.

Mercury had been dropped heavily to the ground when Venus had attacked, and now ran to where Venus slumped against a display counter. She held the golden-haired Senshi tightly, and Venus leaned against her, smiling. Behind them, forgotten and ignored, Sheiki stirred and dragged herself slowly and silently into the shadows, leaving a red trail behind her.

Meanwhile, Jupiter had been throwing herself into the fight with Semeku. She couldn't afford to be incapacitated as Tuxedo Kamen had been, so she didn't try to launch any attacks, letting her fists and feet do the work. There was a large dent in the daeva's mask from Jupiter's continued pummeling.

As the strongest of the Sailor Senshi landed in front of her, Semeku abandoned her larger weapons, throwing her fists forward and letting the small needles fly from her gauntlets. The tiny darts embedded themselves in Jupiter's stomach before dissolving away, and Jupiter fell to her knees, letting out a small cry of pain.

Semeku laughed loudly in sadistic pleasure. "Now, warrior." She said almost lovingly. "Let me give you the gift of agony before I let you die." She leveled her fist down at Jupiter's back.

"Not so fast." Sailor Jupiter said harshly. Her hand came up and caught the edge of Semeku's armor. "You shouldn't wear metal if you're going to fight me." A small antenna extended from her tiara and lightning crackled around her. Semeku gasped and tried to free herself, but Jupiter's grip was too strong.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

A massive crack of thunder wracked the store as lightning climbed up and down Semeku's helpless form, paralyzing her completely. When the attack finally faded, Semeku fell to the ground, burned. Her body swiftly began to crumble to dust, leaving behind only the mask. Jupiter stood, amazed at how quickly the pain had vanished on Semeku's death.

Looking down, she saw Tuxedo Kamen rising as well, helping Sailor Moon to her feet. Mars and Neptune had woken up and were standing as well, and Mercury was helping a very shaky Venus walk forward, Venus' arm slung over the Senshi of Water's shoulders.

On the other side of the store, the duel between Muon and Sailor Uranus had pressed on without halt. Both were exhausted and breathing heavily. Muon's robes were torn and stained in several places, as was Uranus' fuku. Uranus wore an expression of bleak determination, and Muon maintained his blank facade. Behind them, Sailor Saturn had long since lapsed into unconsciousness, merely twitching slightly as the blue electricity crackled around her.

There was a small break in the fighting as both looked at each other, panting. Uranus brushed sweat from her eyes. "You can't have her." She repeated softly.

"But I will take her." Muon replied.

"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" Muon narrowly evaded the attack, swinging his sword in a deadly arc to prepare an attack of his own.

"Stop!" Neptune's voice shouted from above. Uranus and Muon both looked up. The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen were standing atop the rubble in the center of the room, battle-worn but ready.

"Looks like you're outnumbered, Muon." Uranus smirked.

"Yes..." Muon gestured, and the field surrounding Sailor Saturn doubled in intensity. Saturn woke screaming. "Nevertheless, I will not leave this place without her."

"You're bluffing!" Uranus said, narrowing her eyes. "You won't kill her."

"You're right." He said tonelessly. "But she doesn't need to have a mind for me to study her. Leave us, or I will erase her very essence." The defenders of Earth looked at each other, unsure of what action to take now.

"I think not." A new voice said, soft and cold. Muon turned to look back at where Sailor Saturn stood imprisoned. Sailor Pluto stepped from the shadows, her black fuku giving her a particularly ominous air. "I'm putting a stop to this." She touched her Garnet Rod to one of the jewels holding Saturn and closed her eyes. "Dead...scream."

Red light burst from the rod's tip and turned the blue jewel crimson. Red light flew from it to the other two, and the three gems blazed like garnets for a moment before bursting into pieces. The field vanished, and Saturn fell forward into Pluto's arms. "Setsuna-mama..." She whispered weakly.

Muon looked around. "So, this is the power of the Sailor Senshi." He said clinically. "I have miscalculated." He began to fade away. "We shall meet again." Uranus leveled her Talisman Sword at the fading Muon. "I'll finish you then." But Muon was gone.

Sailor Pluto held Saturn gently, looking over the battle-weary group. "We should go." She said softly. "And if looks like a few of you could use medical attention."

Mercury looked worriedly at the half-comatose Venus slumped against her. "Don't go to sleep Venus." She urged softly.

"I won't..." Venus murmured absently. "But please stay with me..."

"I will, I promise."

------------------

The next hour or so was a blur to Minako. Somehow, all the Sailor Senshi managed to smuggle themselves out of the store and transform without being spotted by the police. She had a vague memory of being bundled into Haruka's yellow convertible and driving off. Despite the cold, they drove with the top down, probably to help Minako stay awake. She was cradled in Ami's arms the entire drive, and that warmth stood out in Minako's mind more than any other sensation.

Then there was a hospital, staggering across a room and onto a gurney. She was wheeled somewhere, and someone shone light into her eyes. There were stabs of pain as her sides were poked and prodded, and a slight feeling of relief as she was bandaged.

She finally reached full consciousness lying in a hospital bed. As her eyes slowly focused, she saw four people in the room with her. Ami, Mamoru, Haruka and Michiru were all standing there. Ami had a gauze bandage wrapped around her neck, and Haruka had several bruises on her face, but other than that they seemed unharmed.

Minako tried to struggle into a sitting position, but a flash of pain made her settle back down. "T'happn?" She asked, her words slurred.

"What?" Ami said, looking very worried. Minako closed her eyes and took a breath. "What happened?" She said with exaggerated clarity. Her head was still swimming, but she was trying to become lucid. Ami smiled in relief.

"You have a concussion and a couple of your ribs are cracked." She said softly.

"Where's everbudy'lse?" Minako asked. She grimaced at the sound of her voice.

"Rei and Makoto both headed home." Haruka said. "Setsuna took Hotaru home to rest and Usagi's bringing Chibi-Usa to see her." She smiled. "You did really well Minako-chan. And the doctor said you can leave whenever you're ready."

Minako stirred and winced again. "Oh no..." She groaned softly. "I can't go home like this...Mother would never leave me alone."

Michiru smiled. "Actually, we were just thinking that perhaps you should stay at our home for the next couple of days. The doctor said that you need to be woken up a few times a night to prevent complications, and having more people around will make that easier."

"I guess that sounds like a good idea." Minako agreed, feeling her head clear a bit more.

Mamoru smiled. "Well, I need to be going myself, I'm afraid." He nodded at Venus. "I'm with Haruka, you did excellently. Get well soon!" He headed towards the door, but paused. "Oh, Ami-chan, I guess we'll have to put dinner off until next week. Okay?"

"Okay Mamoru-kun." Ami smiled gently. "I'll be looking forward to it!" Neither noticed the death glare Minako threw at Mamoru's departing back at that, but Haruka and Michiru did. They looked at each other, Michiru wearing an inquisitive smile. Haruka nodded and smiled back.

"So Ami-chan." Michiru said. "What are you going to tell your mother about that bandage around your neck?"

"The truth." Ami smiled. "I'll tell her I was at the boutique with my friends and I got injured in all the confusion."

Minako actually chuckled weakly. "Creative use of the truth?" Ami giggled and nodded.

"Why don't you head home?" Haruka suggested gently. "We can get Minako home safely, and you should get some rest."

Ami looked rather torn at that. "But...I wanted to..." Minako reached out and squeezed Ami's hand gently.

"Don't worry." She said weakly. "I'll be okay, and you look wiped out. Come visit me tomorrow, okay?"

Ami smiled and squeezed Minako's hand back with a nod. "I will, I promise." They stood there, looking at each other, until Haruka gave a little cough. They separated with a blush and Ami backed up towards the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow Mina-chan!" She bumped into the doorframe and her blush deepened. "Um...good-bye!" Michiru turned away slightly, her hand held over her mouth and her shoulders shaking.

Getting out of the hospital was a painful experience. Minako leaned heavily against Haruka for the duration, trying to look like she was okay to move around when she so desperately wanted to lie down on the floor. The ground seemed to be flowing in the opposite direction every time she took a step, but she somehow managed to avoid throwing up until they were in the parking lot. Fortunately Haruka kept bottled water in her car.

Haruka and Michiru bundled her in the back seat carefully. As they were driving off, Haruka looked back over her shoulder. "You know, Ami was with you this whole time." She said with a smile. "She's a pretty special girl, hm?"

Minako had already begun to doze off, and simply offered a sleepy smile and a vague nod. Michiru and Haruka looked at each other. The doctor had told them that sleeping was okay, so long as they didn't let her sleep for too long at a stretch. Haruka held her hand out and Michiru took it, squeezing it lightly.

Michiru had called ahead to let Setsuna know that they were having a guest, so the spare room was ready when they arrived. Usagi and Chibi-Usa were still there as well, Chibi-Usa in Hotaru's room seeing her, and Usagi talking with Setsuna at the kitchen table. Usagi cupped a hand over her mouth as she caught sight of Minako, walking very gingerly with Haruka's support.

"Minako-chan!" She gasped, her voice still hoarse from her near-strangulation. She rushed forward to hug her friend, then stopped herself and shook her hands back and forth, unable to think of what to do with them. "Are you alright?"

Minako nodded. "Yes...m'fin..." She made a face and forced herself to speak clearly. "I'm fine, Usagi-chan."

"She's doing pretty well." Haruka elaborated. "She has a couple of cracked ribs and a concussion, but she should be just fine."

A thought forced it's way through the fog and Minako looked up. "My Mom..." Setsuna smiled and took a little sip of the tea she was holding.

"I called her already." She said. "I told her I was the mother of a friend of yours and you'd be staying here for a few days." She sighed, looking as if she'd become resigned to an unpleasantness. "She seemed very accepting, especially considering we've never spoken before."

Minako felt fundamentally unable to deal with any mother issues at the moment, so she just frowned and shook her head. Even that small movement sent a stab of pain shooting through her head and made her knees buckle. She stumbled forward, but Haruka caught her.

"Whoa there Minako-chan...let's get you into bed, okay?" Minako smiled in assent.

"I'll get Chibi-Usa and we'll get out of here." Usagi said. She smiled at Minako. "Minako-chan...I saw what happened. You and Ami were both incredible." Minako managed a small blush and a smile, and Haruka helped her out of the room.

Michiru was waiting for them in the guest room. She had two bundles of clothes, one light green and one golden yellow. She smiled. "Minako-chan, I wasn't sure if you preferred nightgowns or pajamas, so I brought one of each."

Minako took a deep breath and tried to focus. It seemed terribly unfair to make her think enough to make a decision. "Pajamas." She finally said. Michiru smiled and nodded.

"Alright...just one more thing and we'll let you get to bed. Who would you like to help you into this?"

Even in her extremely impaired state, the idea of undressing in front of Haruka or Michiru made her feel incredibly self-conscious. A deep blush climbed up her face and Michiru chuckled a bit and nodded in understanding. "I'll go get Setsuna?" Without waiting for an answer, she left.

She returned with the Guardian of Time a moment later. Setsuna smiled lightly and took up a position of support on Minako's side opposite Haruka. "All right." The dark-haired woman said. "Both of you go and I'll take over here."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Haruka asked.

Setsuna just smiled. "As much as I'm sure you'd like to see our young guest take her clothes off, I think she'd like her privacy." Haruka blushed a little and Michiru laughed softly. Setsuna turned to the Senshi of the Sea with that upturned eyebrow. "Don't laugh, Michiru. You're as bad as she is, you just don't advertise." Michiru blushed as well, but kept smiling.

Minako's face had turned a peculiar shade of crimson at this point, and Michiru's smile suddenly turned sympathetic. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry Minako-chan, I didn't realize we were embarrassing you so badly." She took Haruka's arm and began pulling her out of the room. "We're going to check in on Hotaru, but we'll be coming in from time to time tonight. Try to forgive us." Michiru closed the door behind her.

Setsuna helped Minako sit upright on the bed, and began helping her undress. Actually, she was doing most of the work. "I arrived too late to see you and Ami in action." She murmured softly. "But from what Usagi told me, it must have been something." A small smile passed over her face as she removed Minako's shirt and saw the bandages. "With injuries like these, getting up and launching an attack like that is nothing short of amazing...it takes some powerful emotions to inspire that kind of determination."

Minako blushed again, but said nothing. Setsuna just nodded. "Don't try to talk." She said reassuringly. "I've had a few concussions in my life, and I know how miserable it is."

A low, musical sound started, seeming to come through the wall. Minako looked up, and Setsuna smiled warmly. "Haruka." At Minako's surprised look, Setsuna actually chuckled a little. "Oh yes...whenever Hotaru needs a lullaby, Haruka's always ready." She sighed a bit. "She's a little old for lullabies, really, but she's had a very stressful experience. In some ways, she's still even younger than she looks. In others, she's older than, well, everyone except me."

There was quiet then, as Setsuna helped Minako struggle into her borrowed pajamas. The soft singing continued from the room next door. Haruka had an excellent voice, far better than Minako would have guessed. Setsuna removed the red bow from Minako's hair and helped her lay down beneath the covers. Setsuna lightly ran her hand over Minako's forehead. It was soft and cool and smelled faintly of spice, and Minako smiled at the touch.

"Poor Minako-chan." Setsuna murmured sadly. "Has anyone ever sung you a lullaby?" The question cut through the fog in Minako's mind and went straight to her heart. A small tear trickled from the corner of her eye and slid down the side of her face. Setsuna shook her head as she saw that, and began to sing. It was a small, soothing melody in a language Minako had never heard. She smiled softly and closed her eyes. Between the song and her injury, the pain she felt seemed to be left far behind as she floated on a bed of clouds.

When the song was over, Setsuna smiled and placed her hand on Minako's forehead again. Minako smiled, but didn't stir. "I hope none of these events interfere with the future I see for you, Minako-chan." Setsuna said gently. "You've been ignored by the people who should have loved you best. Makoto's parents loved her as long as she had them, Rei at least has her grandfather..." She sighed and shook her head. "But you were always just an afterthought, and you deserve so much better." She bent over and kissed Minako's cheek softly. "I hope the two of you find each other as you should." She whispered. "And we'll help you however we can." She let herself out then, turning out the lights and closing the door gently behind her.

Minako had been awake through that, but in her condition she couldn't really understand what was being said. And as she began to truly go to sleep, the memory of Setsuna's words drifted away completely behind a very sweet dream of a girl with blue hair and warm arms.

------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, this is without a doubt the longest and most intricate fight scene I've ever written. I hope it turned out well!

It's probably worth mentioning at this point that if there's any canon information about Minako's family, I don't know it, other than the fact she has problems with her mother. To the best of my knowledge, no other information exists. So if such information is out there, and I've messed it up, I'm sorry! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 8

Meson and Gluon were once again in the glowing cavern, standing in the center of the chamber in a space free of stalagmites. Gluon was standing a few feet behind Meson, waiting patiently as her hands moved in a precise series of gestures.

Three stalagmites on the edges of the clear area slowly began to glow with a sullen red light. Fiery lines crept along the ground, joining the stalagmites together until Meson and Gluon stood in a perfect triangle. The white glow of the floor beneath them changed into a bright crimson, and both immediately knelt.

A voice filled the chamber, seeming to reverberate from the glowing pillars of stone. Arrogant and cold, it seemed to came from a great distance, the words distorted and echoing. "Report, Meson"

"My Lord." Meson replied. "The Ryoujin...are gone. Zetsubou and Semeku are dead. Muon has taken Sheiki into his care, but he's not sure if she will ever be fit for battle again."

"Let him keep her for himself, or destroy her." The voice replied. "She failed in her duties, and I have no use for her."

"Yes, Lord Hadron." Meson replied.

"My Lord Hadron..." Gluon said softly. Meson's face darkened at the sound of his voice. "May I speak?"

"Yes, Gluon. Speak."

"Didn't Muon fail in his duties as well? Should he not be held accountable for the destruction of the Ryoujin?" There was a long silence after that. Gluon began to look worried, and just then the stone beneath him began to glow a deeper red.

"Gluon." Hadron's voice said. "I have killed those who have presumed to tell me how best to rule. If ever you do it again, you will be no different. Muon is not and will never be your concern. If I were to punish anyone for failure, it would be you." Gluon began to sweat, not because the ground beneath him had turned hot, but out of fear. The light slowly brightened back to the same shade of red as before.

Gluon pressed his forehead to the stone. "Forgive me, Lord Hadron."

"We shall see. Three World Anchors have been created and are ready for your use. They will be in your possession tomorrow. Use them well, if you wish to redeem yourself. Now, begone."

Gluon stood. "Yes My Lord." He bowed deeply and vanished.

Meson remained kneeling, waiting. "Lady Meson." Hadron's voice reverberated through the caverns again. "What of Tachyon's progress?"

"So far, her tests continue to be promising. This could be the world we've looked for, Lord."

"Perhaps...but we have been close before. I will not take any more chances until the child is certain."

"Yes, Lord Hadron." Meson smiled lightly. "If this is the world, what should I do about Gluon? The Anchors will be all but useless then."

"Gluon is a fool. A talented fool, but a fool. Let him continue to fight the Sailor Senshi...he may be lucky enough to kill one or two. And if he manages to place even one Anchor, my entry into this world will be all the easier." There was a slight chuckle. "Make sure he remembers the penalty for failure. That should keep him motivated."

"Yes, my Lord." Meson's smile turned cruel, then faded away. "And my Lord...Muon?"

There was a slight grumbling sound from the pillars. "The loss of the Ryoujin irritates me. But Muon's studies have cost me valuable servants before, and the cost has always paid. Leave him be." The light faded then, and Hadron's presence left the cavern. Meson stood and left as well, her boots clacking on the eerily glowing floor.

-------------------

Gluon returned to his headquarters, grinning at his good fortune. He appeared in the chair at the desk he had appropriated, leaning back lazily, his boots on the desk's surface. "Gylax!"

The liquid daeva slid beneath the door and reformed herself in front of the desk. "Master?"

"What is Muon doing now?"

"We are not sure...he seems to be performing some sort of ritual. He may be creating something." Gylax replied, her silver skin rippling slightly as she bowed.

"Excellent. Make sure to inform me if his activities change." He grinned again. "Lord Hadron will be giving us three World Anchors."

"Three?" Gylax said, surprised.

"Yes...this will be perfect. We'll launch three attacks at once, in three parts of the city. And we'll do it in the dead of night. The Sailor Senshi have been lucky to this point, but such luck cannot last forever." He smirked. "This city will be ours in the space of a single night."

"Yes Master." Gylax replied.

Gluon laughed threateningly. "After Muon's failure, my victory will be all the sweeter. Maybe I should thank him for killing the Ryoujin...I never liked them anyway." He continued to laugh as he considered the possibilities opening before him.

-------------------

Despite the ease with which she initially went to sleep, the night after the battle turned out to be just about the most miserable life Minako had ever weathered. It seemed like every single time she managed to really get to sleep, Haruka, Michiru or Setsuna was there, waking her and forcing her to converse for five minutes or so before leaving again. Her sides, neck and head were throbbing agonizingly, and by the time morning truly rolled around, she would have screamed from sheer frustration if she hadn't been in so much pain.

As light shone in through the windows, there was a small tap on the door. Minako pulled a pillow over her face and groaned. "I'm already awake!" She snapped as loudly and menacingly as she could manage.

"M-Minako-chan?" Hotaru's voice sounded timidly from the other side. Minako grimaced. They had sent Hotaru up this time.

"Dirty trick." She muttered, then sighed. "Come in Hotaru-chan." The young girl stepped inside cautiously.

"How do you feel, Minako-chan?" She asked.

"My whole body's killing me." Minako replied with a wince. "But my head's a lot clearer." Hotaru nodded. "Michiru-mama wanted to know if you felt like eating any breakfast?"

Minako's stomach suddenly reminded her that she had never had dinner the night before. "Actually...that sounds nice, Hotaru-chan. But maybe just some toast?" Hotaru smiled and nodded. She departed and Minako leaned back against her pillows, trying to remember everything that had happened last night. The battle was crystal clear, but everything afterwards was extremely hazy. She had been in the hospital...and then she came here. She thought she remembered Setsuna singing her to sleep, and she smiled a bit at the fragmented memory.

As if summoned by her thought, Setsuna entered at that moment, carrying a tray with some toast and butter and a glass of orange juice. "Good morning, Minako-chan." She said softly. "Still angry from last night?"

Minako puffed out her cheeks and sighed. "No...it was probably for my own good in some way or another."

Setsuna smiled and nodded a bit. "It was...but I'm afraid I have to do something else that's probably going to hurt." She took a small penlight out of her pocket. "Hold still."

Minako took a deep breath, seeing what was coming, and braced herself. Setsuna gently held her eye open and shone the penlight in. The light seemed to hit her eye like a dagger, and Minako bit her lip to keep from crying out as the bright light stabbed into her head. Finally, Setsuna took the light away and Minako leaned back, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"Well." Setsuna said gently. "Your pupils are dilating...that's a good sign. It means we can let you have a real nap this morning, and we won't have to wake you up." She put her penlight away and laid a couple of pills on the tray. "You can also take these...they're just non-aspirin, but they should help with the pain some."

Minako nodded a bit. "Thanks." She forced a smile. "Really...thanks for letting me stay here and taking care of me like this."

Setsuna smiled in return. "Of course." She replied. She stood up and walked out, giving a smile and nod to Haruka, who had come in at some point during Minako's examination and was now leaning against the door. Minako began to eat, washing down each bite with a large mouthful of juice to cut down on the amount of chewing she had to do.

There was a desk standing against the wall of the guest room, and as Haruka stepped in, she pulled the straight-backed chair from there and spun it to the side of the bed. She straddled it backwards, leaning her hands on the back and resting her chin against them. "Good morning, Minako-chan." She said, smiling. "My pajamas look really cute on you."

"Thanks." Minako replied with a smile and a wink.

Haruka chuckled. Her face was still looking rather battered from her fight the night before, and there were a few bandages on her hands. "Well, it looks like you've got your spirit back, anyway. How much of last night do you remember?"

Minako wiped her mouth with the napkin on the tray and paused to think. "I was just thinking about that...I remember the fight really well. But everything after that is really hazy."

"Do you remember the hospital?" Minako nodded. "I see...did you remember that Ami was there? She refused to leave your side until she knew you would be okay."

Minako blushed softly and nodded. "I remember." She said, almost whispering.

"The other Senshi had to leave, but they were all worried too." Haruka closed her eyes, speaking with an exaggerated casualness. "Of course...Mamoru stuck around." She cracked her eyes open to watch Minako's reaction. She was rewarded, as Minako's face darkened angrily and her finger began tapping against the tray in an irritated fashion.

"I remember." Minako said shortly.

Haruka sunk her face behind her folded hands a bit, so Minako couldn't see her smile. "You seem so hostile."

Minako gave an obviously fake bark of laughter that made her wince in pain. She closed her eyes indifferently and laid back against the pillow. "Whatever Ami and Mamoru want to do together is none of my business." She said loftily. "I really don't care at all."

"Ami and Mamoru?" Haruka asked, feigning confusion. "He was there because he was worried about you!"

"I'm sure that's not the only reason." Minako almost snapped. "He and Ami are great friends. They spend a lot of time together, you know." Her head began throbbing again, and she sighed. "I'm tired, Haruka-kun. Could you leave please?"

Haruka didn't leave, but she was quiet for a long moment. When she finally started to speak again, it was in a quiet, patient tone. "When Michiru and I first started seeing each other, she had a friend who was in the same art program that she was. He was very nice, very handsome and Michiru spent a lot of time with him." Minako didn't reply, and continued to just lie there.

"I got jealous." Haruka closed her eyes and chuckled a bit. "I got really jealous. I knew that I was the first girl Michiru had been with, and I was worried that this guy would pull her back to the other side. It got to the point that I would get angry anytime anybody mentioned the guy at all, and I couldn't stand to see him at all. Finally, I started spying on the two of them."

Minako opened her eyes at that and looked over at her. Haruka nodded. "Oh yeah, I started following them everywhere they went together, just waiting to catch them. But I never did. They were friends, just friends. And I started to realize that just because I loved Michiru so dearly, not everyone who enjoyed her company felt the same way. And I learned that if I couldn't trust her enough to let her have friends, I didn't deserve her to begin with."

"So what happened?" Minako asked. "I told Michiru what I did." Haruka smiled ruefully. "I think that's the angriest she's ever been with me. But since I came clean and I told her what I had learned from it, she forgave me...eventually."

Minako was quiet then. Finally she sighed. "I get it." She said, in a slightly irritated tone. "I do get what you're saying."

Haruka nodded and smiled. "Well, I'm glad to see the knock to your head hasn't impaired you too much." Minako stuck her tongue out at her and Haruka laughed. "Put that away if you're not going to use it."

Minako turned bright red and sucked her tongue back in instantly. Haruka just smiled teasingly. Minako smiled back hesitantly, then laid back against the bed and sighed. "I guess I'm just confused." She finally said. "I mean...I know Mamoru would never cheat on Usagi, especially not with one of her best friends. He's just not that kind of guy."

"But you're afraid Ami's that kind of girl?" Haruka asked, feigning surprise. Minako made an irritated face and glared at the short-haired girl. Haruka winked back at her.

"No!" Minako exclaimed, then winced as the volume of her voice hit her head. "No." She said more quietly. "I just..." She sighed and shook her head. "I still don't know. I guess was just afraid that she felt that way about him."

Haruka studied Minako's face so closely that Minako began to feel uncomfortable and squirmed in bed a little bit. "Well," she finally said with a smile, "Setsuna said that we could let you sleep until she calls from the university, so I suppose I'll let you get to that."

Minako tilted her head questioningly. "Um...don't you have to go to school?" Haruka just waved her hand dismissively. "Hotaru's staying home today as well, so we'd stay behind to look after her anyway. Don't worry about it." She stood up, took Minako's breakfast tray and headed for the door. She paused for a moment and turned back to the bed, her face indicating that there was something more she wanted to say.

"Haruka-kun?" Haruka just closed her eyes with a smile and shook her head slightly.

"Never mind...have a nice nap, Minako-chan." She let herself out and gently closed the door behind her.

Despite her deep exhaustion, sleep was a long time coming to Minako. As painfully as her head was throbbing, it couldn't keep her from thinking. She wasn't stupid...as hard as she had tried to deny it, she knew about her swiftly developing feelings for the Senshi of Water. And after looking at her reaction to Ami and Mamoru's friendship, well, her denials seemed very weak and pathetic.

-If I had just admitted that I...that...I wonder if I would have gotten so jealous?- She wondered. -Maybe not...I hate that kind of jealousy, it's so stupid.- Even as she was thinking that however, an image of Ami and Mamoru having dinner together popped into her head and she found herself clenching her fists around her blanket.

With a deep sigh, Minako laid back against her pillow. -I can't believe this!- She was jealous, frustrated...and scared. Terrified, even. Her initial anger was wearing off, and in it's absence, she found herself curling up tightly, almost on the verge of panic.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, trying to figure out what was scaring her so much. Was it...well, if she did feel that way about Ami, it kind of followed that she was gay. To her gratification, as soon as she thought that she just filled with a sense of pugnacious indignation, uncurling from her fetal position a bit. -And if I were gay, so what? I've never met a couple as close as Haruka and Michiru, and Chibi-Usa and Hotaru are beyond adorable when they're together! If I'm a lesbian, that's the way it is, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it!-

With a small nod of satisfaction, she continued to think, her growing fear blunted somewhat by her internal declaration. "Okay, so it's not that." She muttered. Then what? Ami...she was very affectionate with Minako, probably moreso than Minako had seen her be with anyone else. But that didn't mean that she...returned Minako's true feelings. And if she didn't, that became the sort of thing that could spoil any friendship, never mind that they were both girls.

Minako sighed. Yes, that certainly made her nervous. But that was assuming she planned to act on her emotions. And there was no guarantee of that. The thought of ruining her relationship with Ami disturbed her, but it didn't explain the cold knot of terror that sat in the pit of her stomach like a rock and made her feel like she was teetering on the brink of a bottomless pit.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and turned her head towards her knees, clenching her eyes shut again. She could feel a few tears trickle down her cheeks, but whether from fear or pain, she couldn't tell. She sighed shakily. "I wish this could be easier." She whispered. "I don't understand this."

As exhausted as she was, she couldn't remain conscious while lying down with her eyes closed, no matter her state of mind. She didn't so much doze off as pass out, her body finally shutting the lights off in response to her weariness and pain.

-------------------

Minako woke up disoriented with an unpleasant jolt around noon, Haruka shaking her ankle, a worried expression on her face. When she saw Minako'a eyes open, the older girl smiled in relief. "There you are." She said. "You must have been exhausted, I've been trying to wake you up for about five minutes."

Minako blinked heavily several times, trying to piece things together. Her head was throbbing dully, and as she tried to sit up a stab of pain made her lie back down with a small cry. Haruka quickly stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't try to move." She said softly. That was a little redundant as the pain had brought Minako's memory back with stark relief.

With a tired smile, Minako looked up at her caretaker. "I guess I'm still a little fuzzy." She murmured.

Haruka nodded with a smile. "You're doing great considering all that's happened to you."

Minako grimaced. "I don't feel great...I feel like I was hit by a truck."

"Oh come on...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

At that, Minako actually laughed a little bit. Haruka looked at her oddly, and Minako chuckled again. "Unless you're a Sailor Senshi."

The Senshi of the Wind continued to look confused for a moment, then grinned and nodded in agreement. "Then what kills you probably makes you stronger too." She laughed as well. "Do you need anything?"

Minako nodded and licked her lips. "I'm thirsty." Haruka was ready for that one, having a glass of water and a couple of pills ready on the nightstand. After draining the cup Minako leaned back and sighed deeply. "Thanks Haruka-kun." Silence reigned for a long moment, as Minako looked down at her folded hands and Haruka watched her silently.

Finally, Haruka cleared her throat. "Do you want to talk about it?" Something in her tone of voice made Minako looked up suspiciously. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she saw a familiar gleam in Haruka's eyes.

-Oh, that's exactly what I need. A matchmaker. Karma really bites.- She shook her head a bit and forced a small smile. "No Haruka-kun." She said, leaning back and sighing. "No...I need time to think. I just...I need time."

Haruka nodded a little bit. "Well, if you decide you need to, we're here." She said, offering her an encouraging smile. As she left the room, Minako sank as far back into her pillows as she could and closed her eyes.

-We?- Her mind protested. -Exactly who is we? Michiru?- That would be bad...Michiru was far more subtle than Haruka. Minako probably wouldn't even notice she was being manipulated or cajoled if the green-haired senshi started in on her. -Setsuna?- Minako's eyes popped open at that thought. That was a worst-case scenario. She found the Guardian of Time somewhat intimidating to begin with. Who knew what would be unleashed if she was in a mood to match make?

Minako groaned softly. Why did it seem like life had to become complicated all at once? Why was she being forced to deal with feelings she couldn't handle and friends who wanted to 'help' at the same time she was bedridden with injuries? "Perfect, just perfect." She muttered grumpily.

There was a television in the room, and she tried watching that for a time, to distract her from everything else. But watching it just made her slight headache expand into a pounding one, so she stopped and tried taking another nap, but her mind was moving too quickly to allow her to sleep.

Haruka came in several times to try to engage Minako in conversation, but Minako was unresponsive. Too worried about Haruka's intentions and too nervous about her own reactions, she made a very poor conversationalist. Finally taking the hint that she had spooked the girl, Haruka backed off and left her alone.

Finally, Michiru poked her head in the door. "Minako-chan...Ami's here."

Minako turned her head up with a feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. "She is?" She asked intelligently.

Michiru smiled gently and nodded. "Are you feeling up to seeing her?" -No!- Minako's mind yelled, but the girl just smiled and nodded. "Of course!" Michiru withdrew, and Ami came in a few seconds later, a very sweetly concerned look on her face.

"Mina-chan!" She stepped in. "How are you feeling?" Minako smiled bravely. "Oh, pretty beat up, but I'll be okay...it'll take more than this to keep me down!"

Ami sat down gingerly on the side of the bed, as if afraid of breaking the girl lying in it. "I'm glad." She said with a small smile. Minako nodded in return.

"Oh...I'm almost done!" Ami said, a small hint of pride in her voice. "There are twelve points in the city that the enemy could place those wedges, and I just need a little more time to find the last two! We should be ready to look out for them tomorrow."

"That's great Ami-chan!" Minako gushed, not at all feigning her response. "Really, you've done an incredible job."

"Oh..." Ami looked away, blushing. "It's really no big deal."

"That's not even close to true!" Minako said firmly. "Nobody else could have done what you're doing. We all owe you big for this one."

Ami blushed a bit deeper. "Thanks, Mina-chan." Silence seemed to stretch out after that. Minako felt it, and from Ami's rather uncomfortable expression, she did as well.

-What can I say to her?- Minako thought. -Really, what can I say? How can I talk to her when I don't really understand how things are between us?- As the minutes stretched on, Ami tried a few little questions, but Minako couldn't force herself to make an answer of more than a few words.

Ami stood up, at last, turning to hide a rather hurt expression on her face. "Well..." She said softly. "I guess you're tired. I'll leave you alone." She made for the door.

Minako had a large sense of relief...she was off the hook! But almost immediately, that relief changed to guilt...and disgust. -Off the hook? Off the hook? Like talking to her is some huge chore? Just yesterday you were crying because you couldn't spend an afternoon with this girl, and now you're happy to see her go, even though it's obviously hurting her feelings?-

Minako shook her head slightly. -This is too selfish, Minako. Maybe you're not ready to deal with these feelings, but that doesn't matter. You have them. And right now, they are telling you that the one thing you don't want to do is hurt this girl.-

-I know that!- She furiously responded to her own mental reprimand. -It's hurting me too! But what am I supposed to do about it? I need more time to figure this out.-

A moment later, the answer came. -Nobody's forcing you to figure it out right now. Nobody's going to make you talk to Ami about this. But your best friend in the world is leaving the room right now, and she probably thinks you're upset with her. Shouldn't you do something about that?-

Minako jerked her head up. "Ami-chan!" She said quickly. Ami, who had reached the door in the time Minako's mental argument took, turned to look at her. "Please don't go." She said with a small smile. "Please...I want you to stay with me right now."

Ami's answering smile was like the sun coming up. Minako's toes curled slightly under the blanket at her expression as she returned and sat back on the bed next to her.

"So...think you're ready for that test tomorrow?" Minako said with a smile. "I'm probably feeling well enough to help you study a little more."

Ami shook her head. "No...you already helped me so much. I'm positive that I'll do great, thanks to you." She giggled suddenly. "Oh! I didn't tell you what Usagi did at lunch today...she ate her lunch as soon as she got to school, and Makoto refused to share hers this time, so she snuck behind Naru and Umino and..."

They began talking again, talking as they always did. Minako felt a familiar warmth building in her heart, and this time, it made her smile. -Ami-chan...- She thought as she watched the short-haired girl talking. -I love you. I don't know what I'm going to do about it...but I love you.-

-------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: And about time, I think! Of course, if you think it's going to be smooth sailing ahead, you're crazy! This is actually Chapter 8 Mk II, for anyone coming in to read this at a later point. The original chapter 8 seemed a little...off, so I went in for what I thought would be mild rewrites, but as I was doing it I got some new ideas for the future of the story, ideas I liked a whole lot better. I'll try to avoid these kinds of changes in the future, though. It's not fair to the readers. Thanks for bearing with me!

Sailormoon and all the characters therein belong to someone else. All the original characters belong to me. Hopefully, we won't fight. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon Fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 9

Mizuno Ami stirred beneath her blankets and woke with a customary disorientated groan. Being a habitual night person, she looked upon mornings as a necessary evil, and suffered from waking amnesia. She took a few moments to gather her fractured consciousness together and recall the salient details of her life.

She reached up and touched the fabric wrapped around her neck. With a small wince, she pressed down a bit. The skin around the myriad puncture wounds was still sore and a bit inflamed, but her Senshi resilience was healing them quickly. Most likely she could remove the bandage in a day or two.

-Not that I will, of course.- She thought with a smile. -I think I'll just leave it on until everything's healed up completely. No reason to walk around with a bunch of holes in one's neck unless one has to.- Of course, her injuries reminded her of the recent attack and the senshi who had suffered the most damage in it.

"Mina-chan." Ami said to herself. As usual, thinking of the golden-haired senshi brought a smile to her face. She slid out of bed with a sigh, remembering that once again she wouldn't be able to walk to school with her friend. It was amazing to Ami that she could miss something she had only done for a week so very badly, but there it was.

She mulled over what had to be done today through her head, trying to find a time to visit Minako again. Hopefully she'd be a little better today...she had seemed so distant when Ami had come to see her initially. Of course, she had recovered, but it was still a little disconcerting to see the usually expansive Senshi of Love so withdrawn.

-Well, she must be in a lot of pain.- Ami reasoned as she began getting ready for school. -And she was probably still tired, if Michiru and the rest kept waking her as they were supposed to.-

She continued mulling over her schedule as she donned her school uniform. There was cram school after school...the next English practice test was today, so there was no way to miss it. And she did have to take a turn patrolling the areas that held the dimensional faults she had discovered. Everyone had been assigned a stint at patrol after Ami had finished her research, from all the active Senshi, to Mamoru, to Luna and Artemis. Hopefully, it would enable the Sailor Senshi to gather in enough time to stop those wedges from being placed.

Hopefully. The fight with the three daeva and the one called Muon had made Ami a bit nervous about their new enemies. She could tell the other senshi were a little on edge as well. It was rare to see such a display of strength from a new enemy so early, and it was making them all wonder what else this Lord Hadron would reveal.

And of course, Ami still had no real idea why the daeva had tried to imprison Sailor Saturn, and even more disturbingly, how they had known where to find her. It reinforced Setsuna's theory that there was someone among the enemy who had powers of time as well, and unlike Sailor Pluto, this one's powers of foresight were working.

Ami realized with a start that she had zoned off while in the middle of buttoning her shirt. With a small smile at her absent-mindedness, she finished and left her room. Her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen, a small breakfast prepared to match Ami's small appetite in the mornings.

"Thank you Mom." Ami smiled as she sat down. Her mother smiled back. Dr. Mizuno looked young enough that the two were often mistaken for sisters, rather than a mother and daughter. She was much taller than Ami, her dark ashen brown hair tied back in a ponytail, but other than that they were very much alike in appearance. Ami's mother carried herself with the same efficient, intelligent grace that Ami possessed. And no wonder, as Ami had always admired and tried to emulate that quality in her parent.

"How are you feeling Ami?" She asked, tilting her head. Ami self-consciously touched the bandages around her neck.

"Much better...the swelling's gone down, and it's certainly stopped bleeding."

"You've always been a fast healer." Dr. Mizuno nodded. "Good." She sighed deeply. "I'm just so happy you're alright...I saw what was left of that store on the news. Those...things tore it to pieces!"

"Yeah..." Ami smiled a bit. "It's just a good thing the Sailor Senshi showed up!"

"Hmm..." Ami's mother smiled softly and took a little sip of coffee. The woman made her daughter nervous sometimes, with tiny indications that she knew or suspected Ami's secret identity, but never anything more. Ami often wondered if her mother was just waiting for her to bring up the topic first. If that was the case she'd probably find herself waiting a very long time!

"How's your friend Minako?" Her mother inquired, cutting into Ami's musings. "Still in bed?"

"As far as I know..." Ami replied. "She really got knocked around. But her speech was much clearer yesterday, so that was a relief."

Dr. Mizuno nodded understandingly. "It can be frightening seeing someone you care for impaired like that." She said with a soft smile. Her smile turned rueful. "Of course, the concussion is one thing...I feel really badly for her cracked ribs. Those are going to hurt for the next couple of months, at least!"

Ami nodded with a sympathetic wince, choosing not to mention that in Minako's case it would probably be a matter of weeks until she was fully healed. Ami's mother finished her coffee and stood. "Well, I'm off." She smiled. "I'll be back for dinner, how about you?"

Ami thought. This early in the morning, it was difficult to keep her mind from going random, and the problem of when to visit her friend had been lost in the shuffle. "I think so...I have cram school, and another appointment in the afternoon, and then I want to visit Minako, but I should be home in time to eat."

"Good, I'll make something nice then." The older woman smiled.

"Did you want me to help?" Ami asked. But her mother just shook her head.

"No...I'll be fine and I think it's good that you spend time with your friend. The two of you seem to have gotten particularly close lately."

Ami blushed a bit. "Everyone keeps saying that." She said softly, then smiled. "I guess it's true, but it's still sort of embarrassing to have have everyone point it out like that."

Dr. Mizuno laughed softly. "I'm your mother, Ami. I have a prerogative to embarrass you whenever I can." She leaned over and gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek before leaving.

Just a few moments later, as Ami was cleaning her plate before heading out the door herself, there was a buzz on the intercom. With a blink of surprise, Ami pushed the button. "Yes?"

"Ami-chan?" It was Rei. "Hi! Want to walk to school together?"

"School...but shouldn't you already be at your school?" Ami said, puzzled.

"Oh, there's some holiday today and the nuns gave us a break, so I'm pretty much on my own here. So do you want some company on the way to school or what? I know you've been walking with Minako lately, so I figured you might be lonely."

"Sure! I'll be right down." Ami said, smiling at Rei's rather brusque offer. When she came down to the street below, she found Rei in a jacket and a short skirt with leg warmers rather than her school uniform.

The raven-haired senshi smiled brightly. "Hi, Ami-chan!" She waved.

"Hi Rei-chan." Ami replied. The two headed down the street. Though it was just the end of fall, the air was still biting and crisp, and everyone was predicting an early snow. "Thanks for walking with me...you're right, it was lonely yesterday with Minako." She smiled softly.

"No problem...it's not like I had anything better to do." Rei smiled dismissively. After a moment, she glanced over at Ami. "Say, Ami-  
chan...what do you think of Hotaru and Chibi-Usa?"

Ami giggled softly. "I thought we all agreed that they were the cutest thing any of us had ever seen."

Rei laughed and nodded. "Yeah, that's true...but that's not really what I meant. What I was trying to say is, do you find anything...wrong...with a relationship like theirs?"

Ami looked over at her in surprise. "Wrong? No, of course not. I mean, they're cute together, Haruka and Michiru are so happy with one another, I can't see how anything could be wrong with loving someone like that."

Rei shook her head, making a small sound of frustration. "This is coming out all wrong..." She took a deep breath. "I mean, do you think you could ever feel for another girl like that?"

Ami's steps slowed somewhat at the question. "Do I...? Huh..." She considered the question for a long moment, one finger pressed against the side of her mouth as she looked at the ground. "I guess I've never really thought about it before." She looked up at the Senshi of Fire. "Why do you ask, Rei-chan?"

With a shrug, Rei brushed the question aside quickly. A little too quickly for Ami's taste. "I was just wondering. I've thought that I could, sometimes. In fact," She said, looking sidelong at Ami, "once in awhile I think that if I could just find the right girl, it would be a much better relationship than I'd ever have with a boy."

Ami mulled the concept over in her head. A sudden thought struck her and she actually stopped in midstep, looking at Rei like an oncoming truck. "Oh...Rei...are you saying that you feel that way...with..." She left the sentence hanging in the air. Rei looked at her, a very confused expression on her face, and then her eyes widened.

"Oh! OH! No, no, no...Ami-chan, I don't feel that way about you!" Ami looked at her, thoroughly unconvinced. Rei turned to her earnestly. "Listen, Ami-chan...I really don't have any romantic feelings towards you, I swear. I'll admit..." A tiny blush crept up her cheeks. "I'll admit, when we were just getting to know each other, I might have had a little crush on you. But now, you're one of my best friends." She looked Ami fearlessly in the eyes. "If I felt that way about you, I would have told you already."

Rei's sincerity finally convinced Ami, and her heart began to slow down. She liked Rei, she truly did, but she was fairly certain she'd never like her in that way. She smiled a bit. "Alright." The two of them began walking again. Ami was still considering the question, and Rei seemed content to let her think.

Finally, when they were nearly at school, Ami spoke. "I guess I could like a girl that way. I mean, the idea of being with another girl, romantically, doesn't bother me. In fact..." She blushed a little herself, and Rei looked at her inquisitively. Ami shrugged, a very shy smile on her face. "Haruka and Michiru." Rei smiled and nodded in understanding.

"So, I guess I could, if I knew the right girl...but I don't think that will happen anytime..." They had reached the high school, and Ami looked up at the clock. "Oh! I'm running a little late!" She smiled at Rei. "Thank you for coming with me, Rei-chan."

Rei nodded. "Anytime...have a good day. I'm gonna go check up on the cats and help them patrol." Ami walked quickly through the gate into the school building, pausing a moment to turn back and give Rei a little wave, which the miko returned.

Rei turned away from the school, shaking her head and chuckling as she walked. "Oh, Ami-chan...for someone so smart, you really are clueless. Poor Minako."

-------------------

Minako happened to be asleep at that moment...and for quite a few moments afterwards. The night before she had only been awakened three times, but waking up and being forced to be alert and aware three times in a night did not make for a restful sleep. So, after another light breakfast, Minako was allowed to nap again.

She awoke on her own this time, right around noon as before. Minako yawned deeply and resisted the urge to stretch, knowing the effect that movement would have on her ribs. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. She felt a good deal better...her headache was just a light throbbing at this point, but she still suffered from dizziness whenever she tried to stand. Setsuna had judged another day of bed rest would put an end to that.

Of course, none of that had any bearing on what was really worrying Minako. She still had a panic attack anytime she tried to consider her own feelings and what she was supposed to do about them. Yet at the same time, she was almost frantic to do something. Minako just felt so...rushed. Like all of this was happening before she was ready.

The door opened, and Minako glanced up to see Michiru enter. The Senshi of the Sea looked a bit surprised to see Minako awake, but smiled. "You woke up on your own...that must be a good sign."

Minako was still feeling a bit rattled by Haruka's behavior the night before, so her smile felt a little strained. "I guess so."

Michiru tilted her head as she looked at Minako carefully, then shook her head and sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." She said with a small smile. She sat on the foot of the bed. "Haruka can come on a little strong sometimes...especially about this sort of subject."

Minako looked up. "What do you mean?" She asked guardedly. Michiru just shrugged.

"She really likes it when a girl comes over to our side."

"Our side?"

Michiru chuckled softly. "Her term, not mine. I'm pretty sure she believes every woman on earth is just looking for the right girl to come along." She smiled over at Minako. "I'm sorry about that...I told her that she shouldn't push you."

Minako was quiet for a long time. Her first impulse was to deny everything, but there really didn't seem to be any point. "So...how many people know about this?"

Michiru smiled. "You don't have to worry. Haruka and I know...you must have guessed that Setsuna would know something. We think that Makoto and Rei might have some ideas, but we're pretty sure they don't really know anything."

"How did you know?"

"Well...we didn't really 'know' until right now, really. We just had a strong suspicion. Setsuna probably knew, but of course she wouldn't say anything."

Minako let all of that sink in. She was relieved...she'd been half afraid that everyone she knew was positive about was going on and were all eager to 'help'. She looked at Michiru. "So...what do you think I should do?"

Michiru shifted around so her side was turned to Minako and closed her eyes. "Why does it matter what I think you should do?"

That wasn't the response Minako was expecting, and she didn't have an answer for it. Michiru laughed softly, and smiled over at her. Minako was struck suddenly by how elegant and wise the green-haired girl appeared when she smiled like that. If there was anyone Minako would take advice from on this matter, it was her.

"Minako-chan...more to the point, why do you feel like you should do anything?"

That was even more unexpected. "Of course I have to do something!" She exclaimed, wincing slightly and lowering her voice. "I can't just leave this hanging forever."

"I agree with that." Michiru said with a nod. "But, do you want to do anything now?"

That feeling returned again, the feeling that Minako was standing on the brink of an abyss and teetering on the edge, about to fall. "Well...I..." She puffed out her cheeks and sighed. "No."

"Then don't!" Michiru said with a chuckle. "You shouldn't feel pressured about this, Minako-chan. In fact, I'm very much in favor of you taking your time...Ami is really a very sensitive girl, and needs to be handled gently, no matter what you plan to do."

Minako nodded, a small smile creeping over her face. "She is..."

"I hurt her feelings, you know. When we first met." Minako looked up, and Michiru smiled gently. "We were both swimming, and I challenged her to a race. She let me win, and I became upset with her for not giving it her all. Of course, Haruka realized she was just trying to be friendly, and I felt horrible." She shook her head. "I know she's long since forgiven me, but I still feel badly about it sometimes. It's hard to forgive yourself for hurting someone like Ami...she's too sensitive and kind."

Minako nodded. "That's true...I wouldn't want that."

Michiru looked at her with a serious expression. "But Minako-chan...the real reason I think you should take your time...is you."

"Me?" Minako blinked in surprise and the Senshi of the Sea nodded.

"You." Michiru smiled, and it was a smile full of sympathy. "You're frightened by all of this. Frightened, I think, to be in love. And I think that's very sad...the Senshi of Love afraid to be in love herself."

The blonde girl laughed at that, laughed as loudly as she could with her head still tender. "Oh Michiru-chan...don't be so silly." She flopped back against the bed. "Afraid to be in love..." She made a shooing motion with her hand and laughed again.

Michiru was still just giving her that smile, though. "I could be wrong." She admitted. "But I don't think so. I think you really want to love, but every time you've extended your heart to someone, it's been bruised. And now, you're frightened of being hurt anymore."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Minako said, turning over on her side and curling up. The trend in the conversation was making her feel very uncomfortable. "I'm still kind of tired...I think I'll take another nap."

She felt Michiru stand up. "That's fine." She said gently. "Nothing has to be decided now, one way or the other. But even if you decide you don't want to do anything to change things with Ami, if you decide you want to talk about this, I think we have more in common here than you realize."

"I..." Minako glanced up from the bed. "I just need time to think, Michiru-chan."

Michiru smiled and nodded. "Of course!" She said earnestly. "Remember Minako, nobody sets the pace except for you and Ami. You aren't on a schedule. Please, don't feel like you have to do anything until you are ready."

Minako nodded, and Michiru paused by the door. "Oh, remember...Usagi and Makoto were going to come visit after they got out of school. I'll wake you in time to get ready." With a last smile, she shut the door behind her.

With a sigh, Minako turned back over on her back and stared at the ceiling. She smiled a little bit. Talking with Michiru had actually made her feel better about this. Less like there was some sort of deadline she was approaching.

"Afraid of being in love." She muttered. That was ridiculous...wasn't it? I mean, sure she was scared, but that couldn't really be it. Right? She thought about all the dates she'd been on, then. Cute guys, every single one of them...but each time she knew that a relationship with them would never develop into something meaningful. Now that she thought about it, she realized that quality made them more attractive to her. She chewed on her lower lip slightly. Could Michiru actually be right?

With a long, languid sigh she decided she would take Michiru's other advice and not think about it. She stretched out and closed her eyes, smiling a bit. She thought about taking a nap, but decided that daydreaming about Ami would probably be more enjoyable for the time being.

-------------------

Ami rang the bell to the home shared by the Outer Senshi, smiling. In a moment, Haruka answered, grinning broadly when she saw who it was. "Hi Ami-chan. Full house today."

"Hi Haruka-kun." Ami tilted her head. "How is Minako? And what do you mean by full house?"

Haruka smiled. "Minako's feeling much better...she'll probably be well enough to go home by tomorrow or the next day. She's upstairs now with Mako and Usagi. Hotaru and Chibi-Usa are in the living room." She grinned.

"Ah..." Ami smiled. "Full house." Haruka chucked and nodded.

"Come on in." Haruka went into the dining room of the house, and as Ami passed, she noticed that Setsuna was there and the two of them were having tea. She passed the living room. Hotaru was seated on the couch, a blanket over her legs. Chibi-Usa was sitting on the floor next to her, her hand held up to her shoulder, her fingers entwined with Hotaru's. They both smiled as they saw her.

"Hi Ami-chan!" Chibi-Usa beamed. Hotaru just gave a little wave with her free hand. Ami waved back.

"Hi you two!" She headed up the stairs. As Ami approached the guest room, she could hear Usagi's strident laughter, along with Makoto's lower, gentler laugh. She opened the door, knocking on it gently. Minako was sitting on the bed, cross-legged. Makoto had taken up residence in the chair by the desk, and Usagi was sitting on the floor in front of the bed.

Minako had been striking a pose, her arms behind her head as she made a kissy-face noise, apparently part of whatever joke had been making the other two girls laugh so hard. As the door open, Minako's head spun around so fast that her cheek hit her arm with an audible smack. She lowered her arms, her eyes sparkling as she smiled. "Ami-chan!"

Ami smiled in return, feeling a familiar spot of warmth blossom in her chest as she saw that smile. "Hi Mina-chan." She turned and smiled at the other two. "Hi Usagi-chan, hi Mako-chan!" She entered the room looked around for a place to sit.

Minako scooted over on the bed and patted the mattress. "Come sit down, Ami-chan."

"What was everyone laughing about?" The blue-haired girl asked as she sat.

Mako chuckled lightly. "Apparently Haruka got in trouble this afternoon."

Minako grinned. "Yeah...a little before these two showed up I took a shower. Haruka helped me out of bed to their bedroom since Setsuna was already in the upstairs bath. While I was waiting for the water to heat up, I happened to overhear a little argument between Haruka and Michiru.

"You overheard? Through the door with the water running?" Ami asked skeptically, an amused smile on her face. Minako jerked slightly as her story was ground to a halt. She laughed and rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, I might have been leaning against the door with my ear to it at the time." She admitted. "But it was a complete coincidence." She grinned and winked, and everyone chuckled.

"Michiru has Haruka trained really well." Usagi whispered conspiratorially, giggling. "Do it again Minako-chan."

The blonde senshi adopted a shamefaced expression and looked down, deepening her voice in a passable imitation of Haruka's. "Yes...no...I'm sorry...no...I won't..."

Ami covered her mouth and chuckled at the idea of Haruka getting a dressing down from her lover. "What was Michiru upset about, anyway?"

Makoto made a face. "Minako-chan won't tell us."

"I'm a guest here...that means I can gossip about them fighting, but not what they were fighting about." Minako said loftily. "That would be rude!" She grinned. "Anyway, after that, Haruka asked Michiru to forgive her, and that's when this started." She made the kissing noises again. "It lasted a while...of course, I stopped listening right away."

Ami actually grinned. "If you stopped listening, how would you know it went on for so long?" Minako paused, her face slowly growing more and more red. Ami began to laugh gently, and before long the other three girls joined in.

Minako cupped a hand to her forehead and fell back, gently, against the bed. "Ami's gotten too good at catching me!" She moaned. "Now everyone knows what a pervert I am."

Mako grinned and shook her head. "If I could hear those two kissing, I'd keep listening."

Usagi blushed a little, but giggled. "Yeah, me too."

Ami blushed a bit deeper, remembering her conversation with Rei that morning. "I would too." She admitted quietly.

Minako pulled herself upright again quickly...far, far too quickly, given that she didn't use her arms for support. "Oh, well then...AH!" She clutched her sides and leaned forward, her eyes clenched shut. Ami got on her knees and leaned over Minako, one hand gently on her shoulder as Usagi and Makoto both stood up.

"Mina-chan..." Ami murmured worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Cracking her eyes open, Minako saw Usagi and Makoto hovering over the bed worriedly. She pulled one hand from her side and waved it gently. "I'm fine...I'm fine..." She grated out, sucking in short gasps of breath. "That was just...really stupid."

Ami sat back down, right next to Minako as Mako and Usagi both found their seats again. Minako leaned heavily against Ami, and Ami put her arm around Minako's shoulders. "It wasn't stupid." Ami said gently. "You just got a little too excited and forgot you were hurt. It's fine."

Minako nodded, taking deep, careful breaths now. Ami felt her shoulder muscles begin to unknot, and Minako shifted to the side a little at a time. In just a few moments, she was laying on her side, her head in Ami's lap. Ami's hand had slipped off her shoulder and was now resting very gingerly on her ribs.

Usagi smiled in relief seeing Minako recover. Makoto was looking at the two of them with a very odd smile and a tiny flush on her cheeks. Minako opened her eyes and sighed, squirming a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry guys, but I don't think I'm going to be good company for awhile...my ribs feel like they got hit with a flaming stick."

Makoto nodded in sympathy. "I've had broken ribs...I know how it is." She said with a pained smile. She stood up and tugged on Usagi's shoulder. "Come on Usagi-chan...we're supposed to be looking after the neighborhood anyway."

Usagi sighed deeply. "Okay..." She stood as well. "Bye you two!"

"Bye Mako-chan, Usagi-chan." Ami smiled and waved with her free hand.

"Bye guys..." Minako murmured, lifting up her hand in a half-wave.

Makoto looked at the two of them for a long moment, a soft smile on her face. Then she shook her head once and left the room, pulling Usagi along with her. "Hey, Mako-chan...you know, one of those points are pretty close to that manga store we passed the other day..." Was the last thing Ami and Minako heard before the door closed.

Minako turned her head slightly to look up at Ami, and both girls laughed gently. Minako winced and sighed. "Even laughing hurts." She pouted.

Ami smiled. "I should go too...I don't want to disturb your rest."

"No, please stay." Minako said gently, her hand reaching up and over Ami's. "You...make me feel better. I like being close to you like this." Her eyes had closed again, and Ami smiled down at her gently, a small flush on her cheeks.

"Alright Mina-chan." She half-whispered. "I'll stay." Minako made a small, contented sound and shifted slightly, laying one hand on Ami's leg and resting her face on it. Minako's sudden attack of pain seemed to have worn the injured girl out, because she said nothing else. A couple of minutes later, her deep breathing indicated she was asleep.

Ami moved her hand from Minako's side and very gently brushed her fingertips against her cheek. She was beautiful...so very beautiful it almost made Ami's heart stop. But there was more than that...Minako was like a star. Not a celebrity, though Ami had little doubt that such fame was in Ms. Aino's future. She had the talent and the spirit for it.

No...Minako sparkled like a star. Every room she entered seemed brighter, everyone she was around seemed livelier, thanks to her presence. Ami usually liked to stay quietly in the shadows, doing her very best, but out of sight. Minako thrived right in the spotlight. Ami's smile turned slightly self-mocking. They really couldn't be more different. But still...

The Senshi of Water brushed Minako's hair back and sighed contentedly. But still, there was nobody else she would rather spend time with. Minako warmed her in places she hadn't ever noticed were cold. Her smile made Ami feel like she was melting. And Ami felt protective of her, in a way. She knew Minako was far more fragile than she really let on, and Ami wanted so badly to always make sure she was happy.

They were different...but Ami thought they complimented each other. Her calm, reticent, studious nature balanced by Minako's energetic, impulsive and extraverted personality. Together, they were more than the sum of themselves.

Minako began snoring softly and Ami started, then smiled down at her fondly. She reached over to the head of the bed as gently as she could and grabbed a pillow. Ami left the bed, easing herself out from under her friend and letting Minako's head come to rest on the pillow she retrieved.

As Ami slid off the mattress, Minako stirred gently, a frown on her face. Ami knelt by the bed and laid her hand on top of Minako's, whispering. "I'm here, Mina-chan." Minako smiled and nodded in her sleep, soon falling back into deep slumber.

She let herself out of the room very quietly and padded down the stairs. Outside, the sky had turned orange and the shadows were lengthening. Ami saw nobody else in the house, and it had almost a spooky, deserted quality about it. As she passed the dining room, she saw Setsuna was still there, sitting at the table and reading.

The Guardian of Time looked up as Ami approached and smiled. "Leaving?" She said softly. Ami nodded. "I wanted to thank you for all the work you've done, Ami-chan." Setsuna said. "Not being able to see our enemies on the timeline had me very nervous. Your efforts have really put my mind at ease."

Ami blushed softly. "It's really no big deal." She said softly.

Setsuna chuckled gently. "You're the only one who thinks so...everyone else thinks you are incredible." She smiled mysteriously. "Especially Minako."

That made Ami blush even deeper, though she wasn't quite sure why. "Thank you Setsuna-san." She said awkwardly.

"Have a good night, Ami-chan." Setsuna smiled, and then returned to her book. Ami let herself out and headed home.

-------------------

Minako jerked awake much later that night to a loud bang. She opened her eyes and looked around. It felt like something was missing...and why was she on top of the covers? And facing the wrong way?

Someone entered her field of vision and Minako looked up. Haruka was standing over the bed, a grim expression on her face. Behind her stood a very sleepy looking Hotaru, dressed in a long lavender nightgown.

"We need you to look after Hotaru." Haruka said. "They're attacking."

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another cliffhanger...this just seemed like too good a place for one. I didn't think a lot of action would fit too well in this chapter. -

I thought it was time to give a little more of Ami's perspective. I'm basing her responses to this on a girl I know who reminded me a lot of Ami-chan. She fell in love with another friend of ours but didn't realize what her feelings were telling her until the other friend made the first move. I could totally see Ami being clueless like that.

Don't worry...I didn't give away the story. I might be using another person's emotional reactions, but I'll be making up the plot myself.

Jessica


	10. Chapter 10

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 10

Haruka leaned forward slightly on her steering wheel, her posture the only outward hint of her worry as she raced through the late night streets of Tokyo. The top was up, partially due to the cold, partially so Michiru could hear her communicator. Though it certainly seemed like very bad news all around.

"This is Mars!" The young miko's voice contained a mixture of anger and distress...mostly anger. "They have me pinned down for now, but I'm keeping them away from the wedge." There was a crashing boom from the communicator. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"

"Pluto here." Even with the top up, her voice was difficult to hear, as she almost seemed to be whispering. "The daeva here still aren't moving...they don't look very bright, I think they're waiting for direction."

"These ones don't seem to want to do anything but tear the building down!" Luna said in a panicked voice. "Someone needs to get over here right...ROOAAAWWWWR!" There was a crashing boom. Haruka and Michiru looked at each other worriedly, only to sigh in relief when the cat spoke again. "Right away, hurry!"

"Luna?" Usagi's voice came on, sounding both very sleepy and very worried. "Hold tight, I'll come with Chibi-Usa right away."

Michiru spoke. "Good...we're moving the fastest, so we'll support Mars. Where's Jupiter and Mercury?"

"Right here!" Jupiter said tersely. "I'll go help Pluto then."

"I will as well." Mercury said. "Where's Venus and Saturn?"

"Saturn's still not well enough to fight, so we left her behind with Venus to look after her." Michiru replied. "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

"I hope we'll be." Haruka muttered, shifting gears and forcing the car ahead of her to the side of the road as she sped past.

-------------------

"Will they be all right?" Hotaru asked Minako timidly as the blonde girl's communicator fell silent for a moment.

Minako smiled brightly at the thin, dark-haired waif perched rather uncomfortably on the very edge of Minako's mattress. "Of course Hotaru-chan...thanks to Ami, we're ready. They're trying to ambush us...attacking in three places at once and so late at night. It's not really a bad idea, but they don't know that we already knew where they'd attack. There's no way they're ready for well-prepared resistance." Minako nodded firmly.

The blonde senshi's confidence assuaged the more child-like aspect of Hotaru's personality, and her well reasoned response spoke to the ancient warrior within her. Hotaru relaxed a little bit, scooting back to a more comfortable position on the bed. "I worry a lot about Chibi-Usa." She said softly. "I never talk to her about it...but she's not as strong as the rest of us, and she likes to act like she is. I'm always afraid when she fights without me, because I'm not there to protect her."

Minako smiled softly. "I know how you feel." She said gently. "You care for Chibi-Usa very much, don't you?" Hotaru's cheeks reddened deeply, and Minako chuckled kindly. "I'm not trying to embarrass you. I think that's terrific." She sat up a bit straighter, crossing her legs beneath her covers. "If you ever need any help or advice, just come to me, okay?"

"Is there anyone you love?" Hotaru asked timidly.

"Yes...but she doesn't know." Minako said softly. She was worried for a moment when she realized she had used the word 'she,' but then she remembered who she was talking to. Hotaru probably took it for granted that she'd love another girl.

"Why not?" Minako considered how honestly she should really answer that question, given her own uncertainty about it. After a moment, she decided nothing could be hurt by being truthful.

"Well...this is just between you and me, okay?" Minako smiled. "Secrets between the leaders of the Senshi, Inner and Outer, right?" Hotaru smiled and nodded. "I'm afraid...I'm afraid she won't return my feelings, and that our friendship will get hurt because of that." Minako sighed a bit. "But that's not all. I'm afraid that I'll get hurt."

Hotaru tilted her head curiously. "What do you mean?" With a small hum, Minako chose her words. This was an idea she was only just now starting to formulate for herself, so it was difficult to express. But she wanted to talk to someone, and she felt comfortable talking to the young girl sitting with her.

"I've been hurt a lot." She finally admitted. "People who have been supposed to love me always seem to end up hurting me. It still hurts, and I'm really scared to open myself up to that again...I know she never would, at least not on purpose, but I can't help it."

"Wounds like that don't heal on their own." There was a different pitch to Hotaru's voice, and Minako glanced up. The young girl's eyes had changed, becoming wiser, sadder somehow. Minako suddenly had the sense of being with someone far, far older than herself.

"We can learn to live with that kind of pain." Hotaru continued. "But it can never go away as long as we remain on our own. If you ever want to be free, you have to be brave enough to risk getting hurt again...only being loved can heal you."

Minako considered that, and the person telling it to her. Hotaru's father...though it was in, for all intents, a different life, a betrayal that extreme by a parent put Minako's predicament in perspective. After being used and abused as she had been, Minako couldn't even begin to imagine how hard learning to trust must have been for Hotaru.

"Maybe you're right, Hotaru-chan." Minako said softly. "But it's going to take some time to convince myself."

Hotaru smiled softly, and seemed to somehow ease into her younger persona again. "The person you love...is she in danger right now?" She asked softly, looking at the communicator Minako still held in her hand.

Minako blushed softly and nodded.

"I hope she'll be okay too." Hotaru stated.

"Don't worry." Minako said confidently. "She'll be fine, and so will everyone else." She meant that...she had absolute faith in the Sailor Senshi's abilities to carry this fight easily.

-------------------

Sailor Mars peaked out from behind a concrete pillar. The daeva had come to this place, the ground level of a tall parking complex. It was about half full of cars, but fortunately there was nobody actually in the place at such a late hour.

There were four daeva here. Two seemed to be for defense, two to move the wedge, another eerie black pyramid. On defense, there was a short creature that looked like an emaciated shark with arms and legs and a female daeva with dark red skin and long white hair. Mars now knew from experience that Shark-Face could fire bolts of lightning from it's mouth, and Red could morph her limbs into all sorts of bladed weapons harder than steel. Red currently sported a huge scorched burn across half her body, courtesy of her first clash with Mars. After that, she seemed content to play a more defensive game with the Senshi of Fire.

The two daeva that seemed to be charged with pushing the wedge looked like ogres of yore, blue-skinned creatures that were all muscle, horns and fangs. The two other daeva were currently driving them back towards the wedge and forcing them to push again.

Mars ran out from her pillar towards the next, turning as she did. "FIRE SOUL!" The flames engulfed the pyramid, causing the two daeva to stagger back in alarm, running back into the shadows. Shark-Face sent another bolt of electricity at Mars, and Red ran off after the others.

Mars looked grim. This scene had played out three times now, and it couldn't last. She was worried the ogre daeva were pushing the wedge close enough to the point that she wouldn't be able to destroy it anymore. And even if she could now, Red was getting angry enough to come after her again, and that would make it all but impossible to stop the wedge before it moved into position.

Red came back into view, the ogres running ahead of her as she chased them down with her arms converted into sword blades. "If you leave your post again, I'll skewer you!" She screamed harshly.

"Soon, we'll be finished." Shark-face said, its voice burbling wetly.

"No more." Red grated, her hands morphing into wickedly barbed hooks. "I'm pulling her out from behind that pillar myself."

Mars narrowed her eyes and stepped out from behind the pillar. "Don't bother, I'm ready for you!" She shouted. She danced aside nimbly as a bolt of lightning sped past her.

"Nice try, but you're fried." She said grimly, running forward. Red charged as well, but as she leaped, Mars ducked and rolled beneath her.

She bounded to her feet just a short distance away from the shark, an ofuda in hand. "AKU RYO TAI SEN!" The scroll flew through the air and hit Shark-face in the forehead, freezing it in place with lightning still cracking in it's fanged maw. Mars spun around, looking around for the other daeva. She had to finish this fast, the ogre daeva were pushing the wedge again, and it seemed to be getting much heavier.

Red catapaulted out from behind a van, speeding down towards Mars and converting her legs into a single huge spike as she did so. Mars managed to duck out of the way, and then began scrambling as quickly as she could, blades and spikes hammering into the concrete behind her as the daeva pursued her. To the side, she could see her ofuda vanishing in a puff of smoke and the disoriented Shark-face looking around for it's victim.

There was a huge crash then, as Haruka's yellow convertible smashed through the barrier of the parking garage. Neptune and Uranus jumped out. Shark-face, who had been readying to fire on Mars, spun around, a massive ball of electricity filling the air with the scent of ozone as it crashed towards Uranus.

"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" The crescent blade of energy split the ball lightning down the middle, and then did the same for Shark-face, who screamed wetly and collapsed in on itself in death.

Red had glanced up as the car had crashed, but then redoubled her efforts to bisect Mars. "I'll gut you, little firefly!" It howled. Mars finally felt her back hit a car, and she closed her eyes tightly.

"DEEP SUBMERGE!" The energy washed over Red like a tidal wave, sending her flying over the car and into another. There was a huge crash, a scream, and then nothing. Mars looked up to find Sailor Neptune standing over her, holding out a hand. "Are you okay?" Mars blushed softly and took the offered hand, pulling herself up.

"I'm fine, these guys were a joke." She said loftily. Almost regretfully, she let Michiru's hand go and turned to face the wedge. "Hey, eyes this way, daeva!" Wearily, the ogres looked up from where they had their backs set against the pyramid and were pushing with all their might. They looked almost comically afraid as they groaned at Mars scowling at them. "MARS FLAME SNIPER!" The arrow of flame embedded itself in the wedge and detonated in a huge yellow flash, completely disintegrating it and the two daeva pushing it.

Haruka grinned. "Nice work Mars...sorry we couldn't get here earlier."

Mars grinned in return. "Well, we missed you." She spoke into her communicator. "This is Mars...we're done here." She looked over at the car. "Let's go...I hope the others are alright."

Michiru smiled and nodded. "If this is any indication, I'd say they're fine."

-------------------

Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-Moon screamed and ran. Behind them, a daeva with a blue human torso and the dark red body and claws of a crab skittered at them, snapping its massive claws at the two senshi alarmingly. When the two of them had arrived at this bathhouse, the daeva had been using those claws to tear apart the baths and a fair chunk of a wall, pulling free huge chunks of architecture and throwing them behind it. Apparently, someone had rudely built over the point to which the wedge had to be dragged.

Luna groaned and covered her face with her paws from her perch on an attendant's counter. Next to her, Artemis and Diana just looked down at their feet, embarrassed. "Would you please stop running away?" Luna shouted down.

"Shut up Luna!" Sailor Moon shouted back. "Why don't you come down here and fight this thing?"

"But the other one is still moving the wedge!" Luna cried. The other one, a beautiful woman wearing virtually nothing but long, golden chains around her neck, had a ten-foot long snake's tail instead of legs, clad in emerald green scales. She had this wrapped around the wedge and was pulling it into position.

Sailor Moon glanced back. "You're right!" She looked over at Chibi-Moon, who nodded. They suddenly split off in different directions, and the crab continued on in a straight line between them for several lengths before pulling itself to a stop. As it turned around, it yanked up a nearby stone bench and threw it at Sailor Moon, who wailed and dodged nimbly out of the way.

"Hey, cut it out!" Sailor Chibi-Moon rushed forward. "PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!" The tiny pink hearts flew out and collided against the daeva's hard red shell. The daeva looked around, trying to determine the source of the noise. Finally, it looked down in surprise and almost casually hooked Chibi-Moon around the ankles and pulled her into the air, her face level with it's own and peering at her curiously.

"Creatures like you destroyed the Ryoujin?" It said incredulously, in a hissing whisper. Sailor Chibi-Moon blushed furiously, trying to hold her skirt up as she dangled. Finally she went rigid, glaring at the daeva. With her free hand still holding her skirt, she pointed her wand at the creature.

"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!" The daeva's head snapped back repeatedly as the attack hit its chin with stinging force. With a roar of frustration, it grabbed the wrist holding the wand, which clattered to the floor.

"Enough!" With an evil expression, it began pulling Chibi-Moon in both directions by ankles and wrist. The pink-haired senshi cried out and hammered on the claw holding her wrist with her free hand, but to no avail. "Make a wish." The daeva said cruelly.

"You let her go!" Sailor Moon shouted, rushing forward. The air was forced out of her as her arms were pinned tightly to her side by the other daeva's incredibly strong tail. She yanked her captive backwards and twined around until she was facing the pigtailed leader of the Sailor Senshi.

"Now now...don't you want to play with me?" She said in a sibilant, seductive whisper. Her hands came up to stroke Sailor Moon's cheek, and she brought her face in so close they were almost touching. Sailor Moon blushed furiously and shook her head violently from side to side.

Sailor Chibi-Moon let out a pained scream and Sailor Moon suddenly stopped writhing around, her expression changing from frightened embarrassment to grim determination in a second. "Chibi-Moon!" She shouted. With a cry, she wrenched her arms free, to her captor's surprise. Before the snake-daeva could react, Sailor Moon attacked.

"MOON TIARA ACTION!" The daeva holding Sailor Moon had just enough time to dodge out of the path of the glowing disc. Her crab-like companion, however, was not so lucky. The disc caught him full in the chest and burst out through the other side before beginning to curve back around. The daeva screamed in pain and dropped Chibi-Moon, who rubbed her shoulder and legs painfully.

"That's more like it!" Luna cheered from the sidelines. As the crab daeva began to collapse in on itself, Sailor Moon held out her hand to catch her returning tiara.

But the snake holding her had other ideas. She used the tip of her tail to deflect the projectile and sent it clattering over the tile. She came close to Sailor Moon's face again, angry. "You'll pay for that." She hissed, her face becoming more and more snakelike as she spoke. Her widened mouth gaped open, revealing two dripping fangs. Sailor Moon turned her head to the side and cringed.

With a flash, five red roses embedded them into the daeva's scales where the tail held Sailor Moon. The daeva screeched and writhed, her twisting coils throwing Sailor Moon free. Tuxedo Kamen dashed forward, catching the flying senshi easily.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, smiling happily.

"Sorry I'm late." He replied, smiling back. He gently set her on her feet and looked back at the daeva. It had changed, her body now entirely covered in green scales and her head completely that of a snake. She was coiled around the black pyramid, reared up to her full height. Greenish venom dripped from it's long fangs, sizzling as it hit the floor below. "I think this is yours." Tuxedo Kamen said with a small smile. He threw his hand into his cape and pulled out another rose. It hit the daeva full in the face before she could move away, making her rear back and scream again. "Now!"

"Right!" Sailor Moon stepped forward. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" The daeva recovered just in time to see her death coming towards her. The resulting detonation made all observers hide their eyes, and when it was over, there wasn't even a trace left of daeva or object.

Sailor Moon rushed over to Chibi-Moon and helped her stand. "Are you alright?"

Chibi-Moon smiled and nodded, blushing softly in admiration. "Yeah...thanks for saving me."

Sailor Moon knelt down and hugged her daughter close. "No problem." She smiled. She turned to look back at Tuxedo Kamen. "I hope the others are doing this well."

Tuxedo Kamen smiled and nodded. "I'm sure they are."

-------------------

Sailor Pluto was hiding herself in the shadows under a tree in the park, looking out into a plaza with a fountain in the center, watching the three daeva standing around the wedge they had brought. The Guardian of Time was experiencing an emotion largely new to her. Confusion.

The three of them seemed to be identical, vaguely humanoid shapes obviously made by large chunks of rock and crystal of varying texture. Each one had a large, square chunk of what looked like pink quartz for a head. Pluto had been watching them for several minutes now, and they had done absolutely nothing. They just stood there, completely immobile.

Finally, Pluto had had enough. She stepped out into the plaza, holding the butt of her Garnet Rod against the ground firmly. "I am Sailor Pluto." She said softly, forbiddingly. "I am the Guardian of the Door of Time and Space. What you seek to do is a violation that cannot be allowed. Return from whence you came, or be destroyed."

Not one of the creatures even twitched. Sailor Pluto stepped forward cautiously, her Rod held in a defensive position. She finally got close enough to prod the closest rock creature. As she pushed, it moved very slightly in that direction. Sailor Pluto sighed deeply. "What in the world...?"

She pushed the creatures away from the wedge, to the edges of the plaza. With a shrug, she turned back to the wedge. "Dead...Scream." The garnet ball of energy flew from the tip of the staff, hitting the black pyramid and scattering into a cloud of black dust. She turned to look at one of the creatures. "I almost feel bad about destroying them..." She said to herself.

A high-pitched shriek of pure rage made her look up. What she assumed was a daeva was bobbing in the air. It was nothing more than a ball of flame, with a vaguely defined face shifting and twisting on the surface. "How dare you! How dare you do this!"

Pluto just lifted an eyebrow. "It was actually very easy."

The daeva darted this way and that through the air in a panic. "Master Gluon will annihilate me for being late! No, no no no!" It suddenly stopped dead and looked down at Sailor Pluto. "But he might spare me for bringing the head of a Sailor Senshi...ATTACK!" With a rolling crash, the three rock creatures ran forward, galvanized into sudden movement. Sailor Pluto abruptly found herself on the defensive, her Rod moving in a blur to block attacks that were surprisingly swift coming from opponents who had been so inert.

"Pluto, move!" The shout came from the trees. Pluto didn't hesitate, leaping free of the battle and landing on the other side of the fountain.

"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!" The icy fog enveloped the three rock daeva, but they began to shake free almost immediately, the light shell of ice breaking as they moved.

Sailor Jupiter was already moving though. "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" The orb of lightning collided with the nearest daeva and detonated. The lightning climbed through the connections made by the frozen moisture of Mercury's attack and shot through the stone forms of each daeva. After a moment their crystalline components shattered with loud retorts, and they fell apart into piles of rocks.

"AHHHHH!" The daeva floating above them shrieked. "No, this can't be!" It flamed up, swelling and glowing brighter. It fell to earth like a meteor, aimed directly at Jupiter. The Senshi of Thunder looked up smirked.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" From her concealed location in the shadows, Sailor Mercury attacked again, the freezing water engulfing the daeva in a cloud of steam. When the steam cleared, the daeva hung in the air, turned entirely into a sphere of ice. An instant later, it fell to the ground and shattered.

Sailor Jupiter grinned widely. "Wow, they're not so tough when we know they're coming."

Sailor Pluto walked over to the other two, a small smile on her face. "These were not the brightest of opponents." She allowed. As she spoke, their communicators flared to life, reports of victory coming from both Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars. Mercury smiled in relief and returned the sentiment.

"Well." She said. "I guess it's over."

"Perhaps." There was a soft detonation of air by the fountain. "But you will not have time to celebrate victory." The three of them turned. Gluon stepped out of a portal, his face filled with rage. "I don't know how you managed to do this, but you three at least will never live to see tomorrow!" He said, his voice growing louder and louder by the instant. "Now DIE!" He bellowed, throwing his hands forward. The ground beneath the senshi rippled and began to open. Each found themselves being drawn down into the rock, pulled by an irresistible force.

"SUPREME THUNDER!" Jupiter's attack crackled forth, but Gluon gestured and the lightning abruptly turned and slammed harmlessly into the ground. Jupiter stared in disbelief. She turned to look at the other two senshi, both of which, like her, were now set in stone up to their waists. "Now what?"

Mercury frantically pushed down with her arms, trying to pull herself free. But it was useless. Her visor appeared, and her worst fears were realized. "We're not just getting pulled in." She said in a frightened tone. "We're somehow merging with the rock!" She twisted around more violently. -Minako!- Her mind shouted.

Gluon laughed cruelly. "Yes...soon you will be one with the stone, perfectly imprisoned for all eternity." He smirked arrogantly. "Such is the fate of those who would try to defeat Gluon."

"I think not." Sailor Pluto said softly. She was calm, her head turned down slightly and her eyes closed. Her hand was still firmly against the shaft of the Garnet Rod, just a bit lower down than normal. A dark green aura began to shine around her, and she turned her weapon, touching the Orb to the stone that was hungrily drawing them in.

There was a flash of green mixed with red, and the spell was broken. The three senshi simply appeared on the ground, which was firm and whole beneath them. Gluon took an involuntary step back, his eyes showing fear. "No...how?"

"The natural forces you manipulate are nothing compared to the temporal power at my disposal." Pluto said almost gently. "Such a trick could never work on me." Jupiter had opted for a more direct response, and reached Gluon just as Pluto stopped talking, laying down a massive right hook that caught the green-haired villain squarely in the face and sent him falling to the ground. Jupiter caught him by the shirt with both hands and yanked him up, his feet barely touching the ground.

"Why did you come here?" She shouted, shaking him roughly. "What are you trying to do?"

Gluon laughed weakly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Silly little girl...we come to devour your world." With an arrogant grin, he simply vanished from her grasp, leaving her standing there, holding nothing. Jupiter growled in frustration and slammed her right fist into her left hand.

-------------------

Gluon appeared on a rooftop, just a short distance away from the park. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked down at his hand. "That bitch! I swear, I will make her pay..." He suddenly grabbed the sides of his head, grinding his teeth. "No...I cannot. I have to go, now. Lady Meson will kill me for this transgression." He fell to his knees and slammed both fists against the surface of the roof, his eyes closed tightly.

"How? How could this have happened? They should all be dead! How could they have done this? What are they?"

"Good questions, Gluon." The voice made Gluon look up, all the blood draining from his face. Meson's image appeared before him, wavering slightly. Her dusky face was absolutely expressionless, and Gluon felt all hope leave him as he saw her. "Report to me immediately. Don't even think about trying to flee. If you do, trust me, things will be worse for you."

The image of Meson vanished, and Gluon sat back on his knees, trying to control his shaking. "No..." He whispered. "This cannot be..."

-------------------

A short time later, Gluon was on his knees again, his face pressed to the glowing floor of Meson's control center. Though he could not see her, he could hear her pacing in a circle around him. Tachyon and Muon were there as well, and beneath his fear Gluon seethed with rage at this humiliation.

"You failed, Gluon." Meson said quietly. "What should be done about such a waste of resources? How can I make you pay for this incredible blunder? And what's worse...you ran. It would've been far, far better had you fought and died against the Senshi."

"I am sorry, Lady Meson." Gluon said in a trembling voice. "Please, have mercy. It was not my fault. Somehow, Tachyon's defenses have failed. The Sailor Senshi knew precisely where the attacks would come." The footsteps stopped, and Gluon inwardly cringed.

"Tachyon." Meson said shortly.

"No, no, no!" Tachyon said happily. "My shields are working just fine. I can feel a couple of them pushing from time to time, but they don't see anything I don't want them to!"

"The answer is obvious." Muon said flatly.

"Explain." Meson replied.

"Gluon's first abortive attack must have provided the Sailor Senshi with enough data to determine our course of action and find the dimension faults we would target. With so many warriors at their disposal, it would be very simple to keep a watch over the sites."

Gluon's head jerked up and he glared at Muon murderously, who looked back with blank indifference. "That's impossible! This planet does not have anything close to the technology that would require."

"Did you not think that the Sailor Senshi might have access to tools that go beyond this planet's capabilities?" Muon said patiently, as if speaking to a child. "These warriors are not to be underestimated, not at all. This much I have determined."

"So." Meson said. "You see, it's your fault, Gluon. The blame lies with you. And there is but one penalty for failure, as set by Lord Hadron." There was a high-pitched whining sound as Meson gathered her energies.

"Wait! Please!" Gluon shouted desperately. "Lady Meson, please! I will do anything! Give me one final chance, and I swear the Sailor Senshi will die, all of them."

The whining faded slightly. "All of them." Meson said. "You idiot!" Gluon suddenly found himself thrown against one of the stalagmites jutting from the ground. The breath was crushed out of him and he looked up to see Meson glaring at him like Death itself. "You do not deserve a stay of execution. You will not die fruitlessly against the Sailor Senshi. I will simply kill you now." Tachyon giggled softly, and Gluon closed his eyes.

"My Lady Meson." Muon interjected. "A moment." Meson turned to look at the blue-haired man. "I think I may be able to make use of Gluon's request. My studies have yielded some interesting results, and I believe I have weapons that will prove most effective against the Sailor Senshi. They must be tested, however, and they can only be directed in the field."

"So you would use this fool as your test pilot?" Muon nodded, and Meson became thoughtful. She smiled cruelly and looked down at the cringing Gluon. "So be it. You belong to Muon, now. Do as he says, or your sentence will fall due immediately. I will kill you slowly." She glanced at Tachyon, who was humming to herself as she turned a glowing pink ball of energy in her small hands. "What do you see, Tachyon?"

"He'll die, he'll die..." The child said in a soft, teasing singsong. "Gluon will die, but it's too good, so I won't spoil the en-ding."

Meson actually grinned. "There we are, then." She turned to Muon. "I hope your tests go well. It would be nice to see...this...prove useful at last." She gestured contemptuously at Gluon.

Muon nodded. "Of course." He looked down at his new possession. "Come." Muon teleported out of the chamber in a flash of blue. As Meson and Tachyon watched, Gluon pulled himself slowly to his feet. His face was turned to the ground so neither could see the tears of humiliation on his cheek, or the look of blind rage in his eyes. After a moment, he vanished as well.

-------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, high action in this chapter and little else. Still, not to worry, we're still on track. There's not much else I can say for this chapter, so stay tuned!

Sailormoon and all the characters in this story belong to their respective creators/owners. Figure it out.


	11. Chapter 11

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 11

Of course, there had to be a party following the Sailor Senshi's impressive victory. So the following night, Sunday, the Senshi all came to the home of the Outer Senshi to celebrate. By an almost unanimous decision, Ami was the guest of honor at the party. The one dissenting vote was, of course, Ami herself.

"Voila!" Makoto whisked the cloth from a tray she had brought with her, revealing an assortment of terribly decadent looking pastries to blue-haired girl who sat in front of her. The Senshi had gathered in the large sitting room in the Outers' home, and Ami was sitting on the sofa, flanked by Usagi and Rei. Mamoru stood behind Usagi, Chibi-Usa and Hotaru beside him, leaning over the side and looking over Ami's shoulders. Haruka and Michiru stood to the side, Haruka's arm around the other's waist, and Setsuna was lounging in her favorite armchair.

"They look delicious, Mako-chan." Ami beamed. "I can't wait to try one."

"You'd better hurry." Rei teased. "We almost had to tie Usagi-chan up on the way here to make sure you got the first taste."

Usagi licked her lips and did a double-take before tearing her eyes from the platter and glaring at Rei. "That's not true!"

"And it's a good thing Makoto brought napkins." Rei continued, heedless. "Or she probably would have tripped and fell on the drool running down her face."

With a growl, Usagi hurled a small pillow at the Senshi of Fire. Rei yanked the pillow from her face and leaned over Ami's lap, blowing a raspberry at the Moon Princess. Usagi leaned over and began to do the same. Luckily, Makoto had seen the signs and wisely covered the tray again. Ami closed her eyes and gave a helpless smile to the room in general.

"Usagi-chan. Rei-chan." Michiru's soft voice made both girls freeze and yank their tongues back. "This isn't really the time for this, is it?" The chastened senshi sank back into their seats, blushing.

"Sorry Ami-chan." Usagi said, smiling through her blush.

If Usagi looked embarrassed, Rei looked as if she wanted the sky to open and strike her dead on the spot. "Sorry Ami-chan." She mumbled, staring down into her lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Michiru smiling at her and relaxed slightly.

Makoto took the covering away and Usagi reached out and took the most delicious, chocolate-drenched treat and offered it to Ami. "Here Ami-chan!"

Ami shook her head slightly, blushing deeply. "You can have it Usagi-chan...this is really nice of all of you, but it's really not necessary. I didn't really do anything."

Usagi looked as if she were seriously considering the offer, then shook her head, continuing to offer the pastry to her. "You're the big hero, Ami-chan, you should have it." That just made the shy senshi blush a little deeper, but she took the small cake and lightly nibbled a corner. Not even her self-consciousness was enough to stop the small sound of pleasure she made.

Everyone applauded slightly, and Ami blushed even deeper. To cover her embarrassment, she looked around. "Where's Minako-chan?" She asked softly. "I thought she'd be well enough to get out of bed."

Haruka answered. "She's still getting ready...she didn't really have any clothes with her here, so she sent me to her house to get a dress." She shrugged. "She wouldn't let me go until just a little while ago."

"She didn't want you to run into anyone while you were there." Setsuna observed softly. A few heads turned in her direction, but she offered no further explanation.

"It's been about long enough, though." Haruka said, glancing up the stairs. "Hotaru, could you go up and see how she's doing?"

Hotaru smiled and nodded. "Okay Haruka-papa."

When Hotaru knocked on the guest room door, a rather nervous sounding "Yes?" greeted her.

"It's me, Minako-chan."

"Oh, come in Hotaru-chan." Hotaru came in to find Minako seated in front of the desk in the room, looking at herself in the mirror behind it and twisting her hair back and forth, a dissatisfied look on her face.

"Are you okay? Everyone's downstairs already, and Ami asked where you were."

Minako perked up at hearing that, a smile passing over her face. "She did?" Hotaru nodded, and Minako made a small, happy humming noise to herself, continuing to fuss with her hair in the mirror.

"What are you doing Minako-chan?" Hotaru asked.

"Do you remember what we were talking about last night?" Minako replied. "Do you remember what you told me?" Hotaru nodded again. "I think...I decided you're right. Sort of." She laughed a little bit at her own ambiguity. "Okay, so I didn't really decide anything. But Ami's important to me. I guess that's the only thing that matters right now." She looked over at Hotaru where she still stood by the door with a small smile. "Does that make any sense?"

Hotaru nodded. "Yes...but what are you doing?"

Minako grumbled a bit and tried letting her hair fall over one shoulder. "I can't get my hair to look right!" She turned fully to Hotaru. "What do you think?"

Hotaru shrugged a little bit. "I think you have the most beautiful hair, and I think it looks the best the way you always wear it."

Minako paused, then chuckled. "Thanks Hotaru-chan...you really know how to make a girl feel like she just wasted an hour." She picked up her red bow from where she left it on the desk and turned back to the mirror. "Go on back down and tell Ami I'll be down in a second."

As Minako descended the staircase, she saw Ami still seated on the couch, blushing furiously at all the attention she was getting. Minako felt a sudden surge of protectiveness towards the shy senshi, and added a little more flair to her descent. It was a trick she knew, and she really couldn't explain it, but she just seemed to emit an aura, and, sure enough, the eyes of her friends below started to turn towards her.

When Ami looked up, it was with relief. Part of it was relief at no longer being the center of attention, but there was more to it. Minako hardly dared hope that it was relief at simply seeing her. No...tonight, Minako just wanted to be there with Ami, for Ami. Everything else could wait till later.

Two things suddenly happened that made Minako want to bolt down the rest of the stairway as fast as she could. Rei stood up to go chat with Setsuna by her chair, leaving the space next to Ami open. At about the same time, Mamoru leaned over the back of the couch to talk to the blue haired girl. Ami covered her mouth, laughing softly at whatever was said. Everything Minako had told herself about jealously vanished in a red haze, and she walked to the sofa as quickly as possible.

"Ami-chan!" She said as she sat, beaming. She placed her hand on Ami's arm and didn't quite yank the other girl to face in her direction. Ami turned along with her and gave Minako a warm hug, returning the smile with equal happiness.

"Mina-chan!" She said softly, hugging her tenderly. Minako's ribs gave a little twinge at the increased pressure, but it was nothing she couldn't ignore. She noticed Mamoru smiling at the two of them, and chose to ignore the kind expression, giving in momentarily to the part of her brain that was gleefully pointing out that Ami didn't hug him like that. "I'm really glad you're up." Ami was saying.

"Me too!" Minako said, smiling as they released each other. "I'm just sorry I missed the fight. It sounds like I could have helped, even in my condition."

"Yeah." Rei said with a grin. "But it was almost too easy as it was...I don't think we'd have felt good about it if it was any easier." She laughed a bit. "Has Setsuna told you about what happened to her? You have to make her tell the story, Minako-chan, it's just too funny." Setsuna just smiled.

"And of course, it's all thanks to Ami-chan!" Usagi chirped, leaning over and leaning her head against Ami's shoulder. "So what do you wanna do now, Ami-chan?"

Ami looked at Minako for support. Minako recognized the look, and nodded, smiling encouragingly. Ami turned back to Usagi. "I want everyone to have a good time and stop worrying about me." She said softly, smiling. "It's really, really nice to be appreciated, but even if I was able to figure out where they'd attack, it was all of you who stopped them. This is everyone's victory, not just mine."

Haruka grinned at that and walked over to the stereo, turning the volume up slightly. "You heard the girl." She announced. "Let's party."

-------------------

An hour or so later the party was in full swing. A karaoke machine set in the dining room was being put to good use by several of the senshi, and highly questionable use by Usagi. Setsuna had finally been cajoled into telling the story as Rei requested, and her quiet, understated description of the late daeva's panicked arrival soon had Minako laughing so hard she didn't even notice the pain from her sides.

Ami, Makoto, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa had been listening (and laughing) along with Minako. When the story was concluded, Makoto went to go take a turn with the karaoke machine and the younger girls followed after to watch. Ami excused herself to go to the bathroom, and Minako was left sitting across from the solitary Guardian of Time.

"Are you going to take a turn?" Minako asked, moving her head slightly in the direction of the singing emanating from the dining room.

Setsuna shook her head a bit. "I don't think so." She murmured. "I prefer just to watch that sort of thing."

"You watch a lot." Minako observed.

"I've had a lot of practice." Setsuna said with a wry smile.

"You don't have to, you know. You could join the rest of us. It would be fun."

Setsuna chuckled a bit, and Minako gave her a questioning look. "I'm not separate from you." She explained, in her quiet, measured voice. "I stay back and watch because I enjoy it...it's my way of getting closer to you all." She smiled. "I've been alone a lot, throughout my life. Long, long stretches with nothing to keep me company but my own thoughts. That's why I like to simply observe you all. Seeing you, hearing you, it's how I know I'm not alone, that I'm with the ones I love."

Minako considered that for a moment. "I think I understand." She finally said. "It's different, but it makes sense."

"It is different." Setsuna agreed. "But when you're as old as me, you'll find that you have a...unique perspective on things. And of course, you're far too social to ever be comfortable watching from the sidelines. You're more than comfortable being in the center...you thrive on it. It makes you sparkle." She smiled. "It's one of the reasons I like watching you in particular."

Minako felt herself blushing a little bit at that. "Have you ever talked to Ami about this? She might be able to relate a little more than me."

"I have, and she might." Setsuna said. "But not entirely. You know the truth of that, I think." She smiled knowingly, and Minako blushed a bit more. "She might not like the spotlight, but she'd rather be in the group than watching it. She just needs a little...encouragement sometimes." Setsuna glanced over Minako's shoulder, and Minako realized Ami must be coming back.

"Hi Mina-chan." Ami said as she stood next to the sofa. "Do you want to go to the dining room? Michiru's making Haruka sing a duet with her."

Minako grinned as she stood. "Haruka's actually a pretty good singer." She said. "This should be good." She turned back to Setsuna. "You should come too."

"I can hear everything from here." Setsuna smiled.

"That's not why." Minako said, shaking her head with a grin. "Maybe you can get to know us by watching, but you're not letting us get to know you. And I think we'd all like that." Ami couldn't follow the entire conversation, but she nodded in agreement nonetheless.

Setsuna laughed at that. "You know, Haruka and Michiru have told me the same thing, more than once." She settled back in her chair, chuckling. "Very well, I'll be along in a moment."

-------------------

Haruka and Michiru were singing, more to each other than anyone else. Haruka had blushed furiously when Michiru had started the music, a heartfelt love song, but the blush had soon faded once she had gotten into it, and now she just gazed into her sea-haired lovers eyes, singing her lines as if they were the only two people in the world.

Rei had left the dining room for the darkened recesses of the kitchen, watching the two of them through the wide archway connecting the two rooms. She sighed deeply as she watched Michiru return Haruka's look with love just as deep. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching a scene she knew she could never be a part of.

"I guess Minako and Ami aren't the only ones with love issues, huh?" Makoto's voice make Rei jump, and she had to cover her mouth to keep from crying out.

"Mako-chan!" Rei said breathlessly. "I didn't even notice you come in."

"I'm kind of surprised you even heard me." Makoto said, smiling softly. Rei turned beet red as she realized she'd been found out.

"But I wasn't...I'm not...I..." She groaned under her breath and covered her face in her hands. "Oh no..."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Makoto said kindly. She took a sip from the glass of water she was holding. Rei eyed it warily.

"How long have you been here?" Makoto smiled slyly.

"Long enough to hear you sigh four or five times." Rei groaned again and Makoto laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry...like I said, I won't tell anyone." She looked out at the singing duo. "I have to ask...who is it?"

Rei turned as crimson as her fuku and looked down at her feet. "Michiru."

Makoto nodded. "I kind of thought so...she would suit you better."

Rei sighed languidly. "Yeah...I guess...I guess she makes me think of how my mother must have been. She's so elegant and beautiful..." She sighed again.

"I understand." Makoto said quietly. "But I have to admit, I'm a little surprised. To be honest, I always sort of thought that you felt that way about Usagi."

"Usagi?" Rei straightened a little at that, then chuckled. "Maybe you're right...but then again, can you tell me you're not just a little bit in love with her?"

Makoto considered the question. "I guess not." She said with a rueful smile. "I guess we probably all are."

Rei shrugged. "It would be the same either way...impossible." She looked back over her shoulder at Makoto. "Do you know what the worst thing is?"

"What?"

"I don't even want to try to fight for her...and not just because I know I'd lose. Haruka loves her so, so much. I just have a silly crush on her. Maybe it could turn into love too...but I'm not going to even try breaking up happiness like that on a maybe."

Makoto smiled and gave Rei's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You're a good person, Rei-chan. And a good friend. Someday, I know you'll be as happy as they are."

The song had ended by now. Rei turned towards Makoto, wiping her eyes suspiciously. "Thanks for listening, Mako-chan." Makoto stepped forward, opening her arms as if to give her friend a hug, but the miko just stepped back and turned around.

"Anytime Rei-chan." Makoto said, watching Rei leave the kitchen with a smile. She took another drink, leaning against the wall in the same place her friend had. "Anytime at all."

-------------------

Chibi-Usa took the microphone next. Rather than the classic melody Haruka and Michiru had chosen, she chose a new song by the artist who was currently the most popular idol in Japan. The feeling was just as genuine, though. Her cheeks were flushed as she sang, a condition that had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with the dark-haired girl who sat in front of her, eyes shining as she listened.

Rei walked out just as Chibi-Usa began singing, and quietly slipped from the kitchen to the sitting room without disturbing anyone. Makoto followed just a few breaths afterwards, looking somewhat pensive. She stood in the archway for a moment, listening to Chibi-Usa sing. Her face softened into a smile, and she moved to lean in the corner.

Looking across the room, Makoto was somewhat surprised to see Setsuna standing in the corner across from her. Setsuna was looking back at her, obviously expecting to catch her eyes. Even more surprising was the smile Setsuna was wearing, a smile that could only be described as sly. Makoto looked at her questioningly, and the Guardian of Time lightly twitched her eyes over to the side. Makoto followed the look, and smiled as well.

Chibi-Usa was singing at the head of the long dining room table, Hotaru seated just to the left. On the other side of the table, Usagi and Mamoru were seated next to each other, smiling at their daughter's performance. Haruka and Michiru had slipped out as soon as their song had ended, their expressions clearly stating they needed a moment by themselves.

But what Setsuna had been indicating were the room's other occupants. Minako and Ami had snuck two chairs from the table and placed them next to the wall, concealed somewhat by a potted plant just next to them. They were holding a whispered conversation, far too quiet to disrupt the younger girl's song to her loved one.

Makoto very nearly squirmed with delight at the sight. -Well, at least that seems to be going well.- She thought. -I wonder what they're talking about?-

-------------------

"Is Hotaru going to sing next?" Ami wondered aloud. Minako shook her head.

"Not a chance...it seems our little Hotaru is only slightly better at singing than Usagi...she can't carry a tune in a bucket."

Ami giggled very softly. "Mina-chan...that's a horrible thing to say!"

"Hey, just telling you what I've been told." Minako shrugged. "At least she knows she can't sing well...unlike Usagi." Ami giggled again.

"Are you going to sing?" Ami asked.

Minako smiled. "Maybe later...right now I'm just enjoying the company."

"Thanks." Ami looked away just a bit, blushing softly. "Are you sure you're feeling better...you really shouldn't strain yourself."

"Oh, I'm fine, Ami-chan." Minako said dismissively. She lightly knocked her knuckles on the side of her head. "My head barely hurts at this point, and I don't feel dizzy at all." She smirked. "My ribs still hurt, but they feel a lot better too."

Ami nodded absently. "Oh, good..." She looked off into the distance a bit. Minako tilted her head quizzically.

"Are you alright Ami-chan? You've seemed a little distracted tonight."

"It's nothing Mina-chan...I just..." Ami paused and looked over at Minako through the corner of her eye. Chibi-Usa's song began to wind down towards the end, and Ami looked over at the pink haired girl finishing her song. "Maybe it's not nothing..." She whispered. "But...do you think we could go somewhere to be alone?"

Minako blinked in surprise. "Of...of course." She said, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice. "Follow me." She stood up, and Usagi looked over at her.

"Are you going to sing next Minako-chan?" She asked brightly.

"Um...not right now, Usagi-chan." Usagi brightened up considerably.

"Oh, great! Now I can sing another song for you, Mamo-chan!" She looked up adoringly at Mamoru, who closed his eyes and gave his love a very slightly pained smile. Rei had been coming back into the room, but spun on her heel and left again on hearing Usagi.

"Maybe you should sing, Rei-chan." Setsuna said as the dark-haired girl passed her. "I don't think you've had a turn tonight."

"Yeah, take a turn Rei-chan." Makoto chimed in.

Rei turned and smiled softly. "Okay." She headed over to the machine and took the microphone from Usagi, who handed it over, grumbling softly.

"Well, I guess since you haven't had a turn yet..." She went back to her chair and Mamoru placed an arm around her shoulder, hugging her close. Minako and Ami took advantage of the distraction and slipped out of the room before Rei began singing.

They passed through the now empty sitting room and up the stairs, passing a slightly tousled-looking Haruka and Michiru leaving their bedroom. The four friends shared a slightly embarrassed smile and passed each other without a word.

Minako led Ami to the end of the hallway where a door opened into a smaller upstairs sitting room, the walls lined virtually completely with bookshelves. "Setsuna spends a lot of time here." Minako noted.

"It shows." Ami smiled and nodded. Minako passed through the room to a set of glass-latticed double doors. Ami followed after just a moment. The doors led to a long, covered balcony that stretched all along the side of the house, doors from other rooms opening out onto it.

"This should be pretty quiet." Minako said softly, walking to the wooden railing and looking out at the Tokyo nightscape.

Ami walked up and stood next to Minako. "Yes." She agreed. There was a long silence then, neither girl quite willing to break it.

Finally, Ami leaned over the railing, looking down at the dark shrubs that grew up against the walls below. "Your mind does weird things when you think you're going to die, doesn't it? The things that flash through your head."

Minako glanced over at Ami and followed her gaze down. "I guess." She agreed. "I've thought I was going to die before, of course. But I've never really thought about what was going through my mind at the time."

"But could you do it now, Mina-chan? What does go through your head when you face death?" Ami's voice was soft, but insistent. Minako was confused by this line of questioning, but considered the question.

"I guess it's a little trite to say my life flashes before my eyes, huh?" That brought a half-hearted chuckle from the Senshi of Ice, and Minako continued quickly. "But you're right...the weirdest things can go through your mind when you think it's your last moment. Memories, promises, trivial little concerns."

"Sometimes concerns that aren't so trivial, right?"

Minako nodded once. "I guess so. I guess when you think it's over, you can't help but think of the things you'll never have a chance to finish."

The silence returned after that. Minako kept looking back at Ami through the corner of her eye, giving her time to speak. "I thought I was going to die when Gluon had us." The blue-haired girl finally said with a shudder. "The stone just kept sucking us down...it was horrible."

Carefully, Minako slid her hand over the railing, holding it open. After just a moment, Ami took the hand in her own, squeezing it gently. Minako noticed that the hand was cold, and trembling very slightly. "Every other time I've thought I was going to die, it was pretty much just like you described. But this time...in the moment just before Setsuna saved us, when I was positive we were going to die...the only thing I could think of..." Ami let out a long, deep breath and her hand closed around Minako's just a bit tighter. "...was you."

Minako suddenly felt her mind go completely blank. "I...but...me? What do you..."

"I don't know." Ami said, quickly. She took her hand back, and Minako curled her fingers closed before letting her hand fall to her side. "I don't know." Ami repeated in a voice that was almost a whisper.

The unspoken thought hung in the air, making the previous comfortable silence deep and awkward. In the face of this revelation, Minako felt panic clawing at her mind. Her tongue thickened as her mouth went completely dry. Her initial reaction was to bolt, to run downstairs and pretend that this conversation had never occured.

But through her panic, she became increasingly aware of Ami's presence at her side. She looked over at her friend, and the sight made her feel as if she'd been doused in cold water. Ami was hunched over the rail, resolutely staring down at the ground. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

-Way to go, Minako.- Her mind chided her. -She probably thinks she just ruined things with her best friend. You have to say something before it's too late.-

"Ami-chan..." Minako began. Ami jerked her head up and looked at her, wide-eyed. Minako forced herself to continue, though every word took a massive effort. "I..." She took a deep breath and let it out again, closing her eyes. "I don't know...what's going to happen. With us, I mean. I don't know how I feel about all of this. But..." She opened her eyes and looked over at Ami. "There's more here than just friendship."

Ami looked back at her for a long, frozen moment. Then she smiled a little bit, and the very air around them seemed to relax. She nodded, and the two of them just stood there, smiling at each other. "I guess we should go back downstairs." Ami said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah." Minako agreed. She took a deep breath. "Go on ahead and I'll be there in a second." Ami smiled softly and Minako turned to look out at the city once again. She heard Ami close the door to the balcony behind her and slumped once she was sure she was alone.

"Well, I guess I know what I'm afraid of." She muttered. "Perfect, Minako, just perfect." She sighed deeply, sinking down a bit lower and running a hand through her hair. "What should I do?" She asked nobody in particular. "She's my best friend...I don't want to do anything to ruin that. But I don't know if that's enough anymore, after this." She folded her arms on the rail and rested her head on top of them.

"But how can I really say I want to be with her if I'm this scared?" She said, her voice muffled. But as long as she waited, no answer came.

-------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had to be very careful with this chapter. There are just too many delicate components. In the end, though, I'm pretty happy at how it turned out. My first impulse was to just throw Ami and Minako together, but as fun as that would be, it's just a little unrealistic at this point.

Sailormoon and all the characters in this story belong to their respective owners. Figure it out.


	12. Chapter 12

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 12

Muon walked through his wide workshop, followed closely by Gluon and his former second in command, the amorphous Gylax. Gluon's face betrayed his shame and rage at his loss of station. Gylax's nearly featureless face betrayed no emotion at all, a quality shared by her new master.

"You show promise manipulating my new creations, Gluon." Muon said. Gluon jerked his head towards him, suspiciously watching for any hint of smugness or gloating. As always, Muon's voice lacked the slightest shade of emotion, devoid of the slightest inflection. Gluon would almost prefer to be bound to one who would lord his victory over the fallen general. This deadpan facade was disconcerting and somewhat maddening.

"Yes, Muon." He finally replied.

"You should be ready to use them in combat in a matter of days...far sooner than I had anticipated. You may even stand a chance of surviving the test." They had reached a corner of the large chamber. In this darkened area a large tube stood from floor to ceiling, filled completely with a thick, luminous violet liquid.

Muon looked at the object carefully, then turned his gaze to the floor before it. An array of blue symbols and characters suddenly flashed into life, centered around the tube. They moved and shifted slowly, and as Muon lifted his hand, several of them changed position or vanished completely. He nodded in satisfaction.

Gluon, his rage overcome for a moment by curiosity, approached as the symbols vanished. "What have you got in here...?" The violet liquid shifted, and deep within the tube a dark shape could be seen, thrashing violently. Numerous tendrils surrounded it, lashing about as if each had a mind of it's own.

"Another weapon to use against the Sailor Senshi...or so I have planned." Muon said, offering no further explanation. He turned away from the tube, and his new servants followed after.

Gylax spoke for the first time, her hollow, whispering voice just audible over the noise of the numerous devices scattered throughout the chamber. "My master...is it wise to allow Gluon to use your weapons in the field without supervision?" Gluon glared at her angrily, and Gylax studiously avoided looking back.

"No, it is not. That is irrelevant, though. I will be supervising his actions directly. I have concerns of my own with the Sailor Senshi."

"Why?" Gluon almost snapped. "What is it you want? Why are you even here? You don't seem to care about anything!" Gylax quailed at the disrespectful outburst, but it didn't seem to phase the blue-clad man in the slightest.

"I have learned all I care to about the universe as we see it." Muon said, his voice as even and dull as ever. "It has never brought me joy, and it has long since ceased to interest me. However, I have learned things that suggest that there is more to discover beyond the universe as I know it." He paused, looking around the room, the various arcane and mechanical devices, the myriad shelves filled to the brim with books and documents.

"That is what I seek. A way of transcending my limitations, to find what more reality has to offer me." A sudden bell-like tone made all three look up. The sound indicated a summons from Meson in the caverns far below Tokyo. "I must go. Gylax, you may accompany Gluon and oversee his training with my creations."

Gylax bowed slightly. "Yes, Muon. Shall I prepare Gluon's former offices and chambers for you to occupy?"

Muon looked at her with the curiosity a human would turn towards an insect behaving oddly. "Don't be ridiculous. I am not taking his former duties and I have no need of any chambers but this one." He vanished then, leaving the daeva and the disgraced Gluon alone.

After a moment, Gylax turned to Gluon. "It is safe, Master Gluon."

Gluon clenched his fists tightly and paced a wide circle around Gylax, swearing incoherently. "To be talked about as if I were not in the room!" He finally roared. "To have to bow and scrape to that frozen, arrogant bastard! It is all I can do not to throttle him every time he speaks to me!"

Finally, he stopped, breathing heavily. "Thank you Gylax...your continued loyalty means more to me than you know." He straightened. "You will be well rewarded once I have regained what I have lost."

"Yes Master Gluon. What are we to do."

"Come." Gluon made his way to the wall of Muon's workshop where his new weapons waited. "You can help me complete the 'modifications' I am making to Muon's toys."

Gylax followed obediently. "Modifications, Master?"

Gluon giggled as he began to work, a cracked, desperate sound. "Yes...Muon will die by his own creations, and I will kill the Sailor Senshi despite his 'defective' weapons. Lady Meson will have no choice but to reinstate me after such a victory!" He continued to giggle mindlessly as he worked, his mind entirely consumed with rage and thoughts of vengeance.

-  
"Here you go Ami-chan." Ami looked up as a cherry milkshake was put in front of her.

"Thanks, Unazuki-chan." Ami smiled at Motoki's red-haired little sister. Unazuki returned the smile cheerfully and went over to her next table. Ami sipped her milkshake and waited. Just a few minutes later, Mamoru entered Crown Fruit Parlor.

"Hi Ami-chan." He greeted her as he pulled off his jacket and sat in the booth across from her. "Sorry I'm late, but I didn't get your message until my last class was over."

Ami smiled. "Don't worry about it Mamoru-kun. I haven't been here long at all."

Mamoru waved shortly at Unazuki, who indicated that she'd be there in a second. He shook his head in denial and just lifted a finger. Unazuki nodded, and made a mental note to bring out Mamoru's usual, a piece of strawberry cake and a cup of coffee.

That done, Mamoru turned back to Ami. "So, what's so important that you're blowing off cram school to talk to me?" He smiled, asking the question casually despite his heightened curiosity.

Ami shrugged slightly. "Oh, nothing in particular..." She trailed off and took another sip of her shake, looking off into the distance through the nearest window. Mamoru just nodded. He knew this routine. Whenever Ami had to talk about something that was emotional for her, it took her some time to build her courage enough to speak. So he simply waited, offering thanks to Unazuki when she came by a short time later with his order.

Finally, as Mamoru was on his second bite of cake, Ami spoke up. "I'm going to help Minako move back into her house this evening." She said softly.

"It's probably about time...she's been away for awhile." Mamoru noted. "Is she going back to school as well?"

Ami shook her head. "No...her ribs are still too damaged." Mamoru gave her a somewhat questioning look, and Ami shrugged in return. "I know...I don't know how she's going to hide it from her mother either, but she says it isn't a problem."

"Hmm." Mamoru took a bite of cake. "It's very kind of you to help her get settled back in at home." He said after washing it down with a sip of coffee. "You two have become very close over the last couple of weeks."

"Has it really only been that long?" Ami mused, mostly to herself. "It seems like so much longer."

"Well, things have been a bit busy lately." Mamoru replied laconically.

That got a chuckle out of Ami. "Yes, just a bit." She sighed then, and resumed staring off into space.

Mamoru looked concerned. "Did something happen between you two?"

Ami gave a half-hearted shrug. "No..." A half-mocking little smile appeared on her lips. "Maybe that's the problem."

"Maybe that's the..." Mamoru's eyes widened in sudden comprehension. "Oh...oh!" He settled back in his seat, still looking somewhat stunned. "I had no idea..."

Blushing furiously, Ami hid behind her shake. Seeing her reaction, Mamoru was quick to reassure her. "Ami-chan, there's nothing wrong with feeling that way." He said with a smile. "You're free to love whoever you want." Ami visibly blanched at the word love and Mamoru winced a bit in embarrassment. "Too strong a word at this point?"

"Just a bit." Ami said with a small, somewhat sad smile. She didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Then what, Ami-chan?" Mamoru asked softly, gently pushing her to speak.

Ami sighed deeply. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I know I feel very strongly towards her." Her eyes went a bit distant. "Very strongly..." She looked back at Mamoru. "But love? I don't have enough experience with it to know."

"And what about Minako?" Ami looked at him in surprise, and Mamoru just smiled in return. "You wouldn't have talked to me about it unless you'd already talked to her."

Ami smiled back. "I did...last night, at the party." She took a sip of her shake. "She didn't recoil in horror or anything." She said with a wry smile.

"Well, that's a plus." Mamoru said with a small chuckle. "But...?"

"Well...she said, 'there's more here than just friendship.' But she seemed..." She frowned. "She said she wasn't sure how she felt about all of it, but she didn't really act uncertain...it was more like she was scared."

"Scared?" Mamoru tilted his head quizzically. "Of what?"

"I really don't know. Of me? Of having feelings for another girl? I have no way of knowing." Ami sighed again and slumped back in her seat. "And I don't know what to do, not at all. That's why I needed to talk to you...I just needed to get this off my chest, and get some advice from someone I trust."

Mamoru was quiet then, considering. "I think it's a little early to think about 'doing' anything, Ami-chan." He held up a hand at the look Ami threw at him. "I know, you really want to do something, but think about it. You're not even sure how you feel yet. For one thing, you told me about this, but would you be comfortable telling anyone else? The other girls? Your mother?"

Ami bit her lip. "I hadn't really thought about that...I don't know."

Mamoru spoke very softly. "Have you ever felt anything for another girl before?"

"I...yes." Ami looked down and blushed. "When I first realized how I felt about Minako, I looked back and realized I've always been attracted to girls. With boys, it was different. Less...intense. Less real, I guess."

"Well...then Minako aside, that's something you'll have to deal with sometime, even if it's not necessary now." He smiled understandingly. "But what you do have to figure out is whether you're just attracted to Minako, or if there's more there."

Ami nodded. "That's true...if this is just some kind of silly crush, I guess I can just get over it." She looked pensively at the tabletop. "But what about the way she feels? She did say there was more here. I need to know what she's feeling...I don't want to hurt her."

Mamoru was quiet again. "There's a lot I don't know about Minako." He finally said. "I think there's a lot that nobody knows about her. I've always gotten the feeling that there's a lot more going on with her than she lets on."

"There is." Ami agreed. "I was surprised at how much more...she's really much more thoughtful than she likes everyone to think she is."

"I wonder why that is?" Mamoru asked rhetorically. "Does she ever talk about it with you?"

Ami paused, as if a thought had struck her. "No...no, she doesn't. Now that I think about it, every time our conversations have gone towards her, she finds a way to steer it away. I've been able to talk to her about myself...one of the things I like about her is how good a listener she's been. But...she's never really talked about herself seriously."

Mamoru nodded. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. I think, if you're going to do anything, you should try to explore that. Try to get her to open up to you a little more. If you do, you'll probably be able to get a sense of how she really feels." He smiled a little. "And if you get to know what makes her tick, you'll probably be better equipped to figure out your own feelings."

Ami nodded slowly. "Maybe..." A hint of a smile appeared. "Maybe you're right..." She finished her shake, still thinking. "I think you are...thanks, Mamoru-kun."

Mamoru leaned back and smiled. "Hey, no problem." He looked more serious. "I really hope this all goes well, Ami-chan."

"So do I..." Ami said softly. "I should go...Minako wanted to get home before it got dark."

"Good luck Ami-chan." Mamoru said with a wink. Ami blushed a little and smiled.

"Thanks Mamoru-kun. I'll see you later." Ami left, and Mamoru lifted his cup in Unazuki's direction, indicating his need for a refill.

-------------------

Minako left the guest room, wearing the clothes she had had on when she had been brought to the Outer Senshi initially. Hotaru was standing there, smiling. "We'll miss you Minako-chan."

"I'll visit more often." Minako promised. "I've really liked it here."

"We've really liked having you here." Haruka said, coming up the hallway with a garment bag containing the dress Minako had worn to the party the night before.

"Really Haruka-kun, I can't thank you all enough for taking care of me like this." Minako bowed as she took the bag, then gasped and winced at the pain that flashed through her sides.

Haruka carefully helped her straighten herself. "Don't do that with Setsuna and Michiru...you'll break your ribs all over again." She chided, then smiled. "And you're welcome." They started down the stairs, Hotaru following after. "Are you sure you're not going to need more help?"

Minako shook her head. "No way...I really just need someone to make sure I get home okay...it's not like I brought anything with me to move back."

"And of course spending a little more time alone with Ami is of no attraction to you." Haruka said teasingly.

Minako blushed furiously and make a face at Haruka. Haruka just laughed until they reached the foot of the stairs, where Michiru was waiting for them. "Minako-chan." She smiled warmly and gave the blonde girl a gentle hug. "It will be terribly empty here without you."

"Thanks Michiru-chan." Minako replied, smiling back. Haruka gave Michiru a little peck on the lips as she passed.

"I'm still working on my bike...I'll be back out to say goodbye once Ami gets here." Haruka smiled and headed to the garage.

Michiru smiled at Hotaru. "I need a moment alone with Minako, Hotaru. Could you excuse us?"

"Of course, Michiru-mama." The dark haired girl smiled and headed back upstairs.

Michiru just observed the Senshi of Love for a moment, then smiled softly. "What will you do now?"

Minako understood the question, and just let out a long sigh. "I don't know..." Minako had related the story of the conversation between herself and Ami the night before to the Senshi of the Sea.

"To put it in the simplest terms possible, Minako-chan, you have a fear of commitment." She chuckled very gently. "You have better reasons than most for having it, but it's certainly there."

"I'd have to agree." Minako replied, nodding unhappily. She sighed. "So, now I'm asking, and I mean it, what do you think I should do?"

"Now that you know Ami has feelings for you as well, you mean?" Michiru crossed her arms and closed her eyes, leaning against the banister. "And she knows you have feelings for her. I admit, the situation makes it tricky. You don't know if her feelings for you run as deeply as yours for her." She gave Minako a little smile. "And if they are as deep, that might be for the best, for now. You're skittish enough as it is." Minako blushed and rubbed the back of her head, but didn't deny that Michiru was right. "You might just consider seeing how things progress...don't deny your feelings, but don't try to push things along because of them either."

"Just sort of go with the flow?" Minako thought about it. "Do you think that will work?"

Michiru shrugged. "Your relationship is going to change, after last night. It's sort of inevitable. But if the two of you are able to accept the fact that you have feelings for each other...regardless of the strength of those feelings...the change might be less awkward."

Minako sighed. "I guess you're right..." Haruka emerged from the garage then, sleeves rolled up and shirt stained lightly with grease.

"Ami's here." She said. "Hotaru!" She called up the stairs. "Come say good bye to Ami-chan!"

A moment later, Ami knocked politely and inside. "Hello?"

"Come in Ami-chan." Michiru smiled welcomingly. Hotaru came down the steps.

As Ami approached, Minako tried not to make it obvious that she was staring. -What happens now?- She asked herself, trying to swallow the knot of fear her throat. -How do things change, after this?- Ami stopped a few steps away from Minako. There was a moment of frozen silence.

Then Minako smiled brightly, a light blush on her cheeks. "Hi Ami-chan. Thanks for helping me get home."

Ami smiled back, a matching blush on her cheeks. "No problem, Mina-chan." They continued smiling at one another, the tension drained out of the room.

-That wasn't so bad.- Minako told herself. -This just might work.-

Behind her, Haruka began to make an 'awww' sound, but Michiru dug her elbow sharply into Haruka's side. The 'awww' turned abruptly into a loud 'ouch!' And both Minako and Ami turned to look at her. Haruka coughed and smiled weakly. "I guess I pulled something in the garage."

Minako took a deep breath and looked around. It was amazing to her how much more this place felt like home than the cold house she was returning to...she'd really miss it here. "Well..." She finally said. "I guess it's time to go."

Hotaru was just reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Bye Minako-chan." She said in her rather small voice. Minako turned to the young girl and held her arms out. Hotaru stepped up and very gently hugged her.

"Don't be sad, okay Hotaru-chan?" Minako said with a smile. "I'll be around."

"Yeah...it won't be the same, though." Hotaru pouted a bit, and Minako poked the lower lip.

"Don't push that out...you look like you want someone to kiss it, and Chibi-Usa's nowhere around." Hotaru turned perfectly crimson and turned away, clapping her hands to her cheeks.

"Mina-chan!" Ami exclaimed chidingly, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. Minako just laughed, as did Haruka. Michiru covered her mouth and coughed rather suspiciously.

Michiru was next, and she hugged Minako just as gingerly as Hotaru had, giving the blonde girl a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good luck, Minako-chan...and remember to visit."

Minako smiled. "I will, I promise."

Finally, Haruka stepped up. Too greasy to risk hugging Minako, she just clasped her hand warmly and moved her head close to whisper something in Minako's ear. What she whispered remains forever a mystery, but whatever it was almost made Minako jump backwards, turning just as red as Hotaru had a moment earlier. She quickly turned back to Ami.

"Well, thanks again! Remember to tell Setsuna to call me tonight so I can give her a proper goodbye too!"

Ami smiled and bowed slightly. "See all of you later." As they left, Michiru looked at Haruka questioningly and Haruka whispered in her ear as well. Michiru gasped and punched Haruka in the arm.

Ami and Minako walked down the street together, taking the relatively short walk to Minako's house. "Are you sure you didn't want Haruka to give you a ride? I sure she would have." Ami asked.

Minako shook her head. "No...I've been stuck inside for way too long. I need some air." Neither noticed any of the awkwardness both had been feeling. Their feelings for each other had been admitted, if not explored, and since those feelings were returned, in some form or another, they were quietly accepted, rather than hanging in the air like a threat.

"Oh!" Minako said with a grin. "I guess you got your test scores back today. How did the practice English exam go?"

"Um..." Ami blushed and bit her lip. "I didn't actually go to cram school today..."

Minako blinked. "Really? Why not?" Ami waved dismissively. "I needed to take care of something...and besides, I didn't want to be late getting you home."

"Oh..." Minako smiled a bit. "Okay...well, I'm sure you did great."

"Me too." Ami chuckled. "I had a great tutor." They continued chatting like that for some time, until the walk was about halfway over, when Minako suddenly stopped and winced, her hand going to her side but stopping short of touching it.

"Mina-chan? Are you alright?"

Minako gave a pained smile. "Yes..." She took a careful breath. "My side just hurts."

Ami looked concerned. "Are you okay? Oh, we probably shouldn't have walked so far." She looked around desperately. "I guess we can sit on that window ledge." She said, pointing to a nearby shop. Minako just shook her head.

"No..." She straightened, taking short little breaths. "We're almost there now, we should just keep going." They continued walking, but Minako continued to fall behind, taking smaller and smaller steps to lessen the impact of her stride. With every step, it felt like lines of fire were racing up and down her sides.

Finally, Ami let Minako catch up with her, and without a word, slid one of Minako's arms around her shoulder, lifting her slightly and giving her a little support. Minako tried to protest, but she stopped as she caught Ami's scent. The intoxicating smell rushed to Minako's head and helped to ease the pain as much as Ami's support did.

Looking over, Minako saw Ami's cheeks somewhat flushed as she studiously looked at the road ahead. It looked like Ami wasn't immune to Minako's scent either, and Minako felt a surge of pleasure that Ami was so effected by proximity to her. "Are you..." Ami said in a tiny voice, "Are you going to be okay going home like this? I mean, it's pretty obvious you won't be able to go to school for another couple of days, at least."

Minako just shook her head. "It's no problem...trust me." Ami looked a question at her, but Minako seemed unwilling to elaborate, so Ami didn't push her.

In what now seemed like too short a time, they arrived at Minako's house. Ami opened the door and carefully helped Minako in. There was a noise from somewhere inside, and Minako's mother's voice suddenly called out. "Mimi...is that you?" Minako choked back a groan and covered her face. Her mother emerged in the hallway, smiling. "Mimi! I was just heading out. I'll be back late tonight, so don't wait up." She smiled at Ami. "And hello there...ah..."

"Mizuno Ami." Ami bowed. "It's nice to meet you, Aino-san."

Minako's mother smiled and nodded. "Of course, of course. You too." She gave her daughter a peck on the cheek and brushed by the two of them to head out the door.

Ami looked after her, looking a little stunned as the door closed behind her. "She...didn't even seem to know you'd been gone..."

Minako had already left the doorway and was making her slow, pained way to the staircase. "She probably didn't." She said shortly. Ami rushed over and tried to help her again, but Minako waved her away with the garment bag containing her dress.

As she began to climb the stairs, Minako could hear Ami following slowly after her. A loud part of her mind really wanted the blue-haired girl to go away. Her mother was a part of her life she didn't want any of her friends, particularly Ami to experience...she had invested a lot of energy in distancing herself from all of the baggage involved, and someone else seeing her mother's behavior towards her firsthand brought it far too close.

Her ribs were screaming by the time she reached her room, and as she entered she found it precisely the way she had left it before she was injured. She immediately went to her closet and put her dress away. Ami's voice sounded behind her, very softly and gently.

"Mina-chan? Are you okay?"

Minako forced her brightest smile and turned back to Ami. "Of course, Ami-chan. She's always like that." She turned back into the closet, brushing her hands over her clothing needlessly, so Ami couldn't see the tears in her eyes.

"She's always like that...she never really notices why I'm gone. I mean, how could I be Sailor V if she paid me any attention at all?" Minako's voice began to crack, but she was too far down the path to care anymore. "She never notices...never stops to talk...never asks how I am...I could probably show up with two heads and she wouldn't notice until she had to kiss more than one cheek."

The pain, combined with her tightly wound emotions finally got the better of her, and Minako collapsed against the doorframe, her forehead resting on her arms as she began to cry. "Hell, I could probably drop dead and she wouldn't even care for a month or two!"

That was enough for Ami. She ran to Minako's side and carefully helped her to her bed. Minako was crying all the while, not the deep sobs of a broken heart...she had cried those tears out long ago. These were, instead, the soft, sad sobs of a lonely girl who had just remembered how lonely she truly was.

Minako found herself laying on her bed, her head in Ami's lap once again as she cried herself out. Ami just gently stroked her hair, making small, soothing sounds. Her tears slowly began to subside, and Minako slowly became more aware of the pain still in her sides, aggravating by her crying fit.

She sniffled heavily, and Ami silently handed her a tissue, which she used to wipe her eyes and nose. "Ouch." She finally said in a quiet whisper. She turned her head to look up at Ami, who was smiling down at her sadly. "I'm sorry Ami-chan...I didn't want to you see any of this." She said in a tired, weak voice.

Ami just shook her head and smiled. "No...I'm glad I did. You've helped me a lot, just by listening Mina-chan...but I've never realized how much you were hurting."

Minako shuddered deeply, but didn't cry anymore. "It's always been like this." She said quietly. "Dad is always, always away on business. And Mother had always acted like that. I had a nanny until I was eleven...then I was just alone."

"I'm so sorry, Mina-chan." Ami said, sympathetically. There was a long stretch of quiet then, as Ami continued to very gently run her fingers through Minako's hair. "If you're hurting, I'd like you to talk to me." She finally said. "I'd like to think that you trust me that much."

Minako sniffled again. "I'm sorry Ami-chan. I don't know if I can." She said forlornly.

Though Minako couldn't see it, Ami nodded. "That's okay Mina-chan...maybe someday."

"Someday." Minako repeated. She closed her eyes. She hadn't felt this vulnerable in a very long time, but somehow, in Ami's presence, it wasn't as terrifying as she would have imagined. She took a deep breath and snuggled her head a little deeper into Ami's lap.

Finally, as the sun began to set and the light in Minako's room began to dim, Minako sat up. "Thank you Ami-chan." She said softly.

Ami smiled in return. "You're welcome, Mina-chan."

Minako shifted to a kneeling position on the bed, facing Ami. "I..." She swallowed. Before she could try to speak again, Ami just put two fingers to the other girls lips and smiled.

"It's fine, Mina-chan." She smiled. "When you're ready." She stood up. "Well, I have to get home...homework." She smiled sardonically.

"Of course." Minako smiled softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ami nodded. "Of course you will." She walked to the door. "Good bye, Mina-chan."

After she left, Minako lay back on her bed, breathing deeply. The sheets still retained a hint of Ami's smell, an intoxicating mix of scented soap and a natural, flowery smell. She drifted off to sleep soon after, a dreamy, soft smile on her lips. "Ami..." She breathed.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I decided it wasn't fair to have Usagi be the only person clueless about Minako and Ami's attraction, and Mamoru strikes me as a little clueless about matters of the heart...at least outside of his own relationship.

I can't think of anything else to say that isn't me childishly dropping hints about things to come, so I'll leave it there. Till next time!

Sailormoon and all other characters in this story belong to their respective owners. Figure it out.


	13. Chapter 13

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 13

Minako woke the next day, missing Ami. She had dozed lightly for a short time, but was forced to awaken when Ami had to go home. Ami had brought her up a little food, and then left. Setsuna had called soon afterwards, and Minako was able to thank her for her hospitality. After that, she had taken a couple of painkillers and promptly gone back to sleep.

And now, as she lay in her sheets and looked up at the morning light playing on her ceiling, she wished Ami were there again. A futile wish, she realized as she glanced at her clock and realized it was nine o'clock. Ami was surely at school by now.

She yawned ferociously, giving a little stretch and noting that the pain in her ribcage was already lessened from what it was the previous night. Her senshi-born powers of recovery must have been preoccupied with her head injury before, and were now making up for lost time on her bones. At this rate, she would be fully healed within a week or two.

Minako paused to listen intently for several minutes. There was dead silence throughout the house. It appeared that her mother had already left for the day, taking it for granted that her daughter had left for school. No real surprise there. She folded her arms behind her head and sighed deeply.

Melancholy. She'd be embarrassed if anyone ever found out she was describing herself like that, but it was true. She was melancholy. And what's more, she was actually enjoying it, in a way. There was something to be said for a kind of sweet, languid sadness. All alone in this big house, her love going to school so very far away...would they or wouldn't they get together?

Her mind shied away from that issue, as it was likely to turn melancholy into full-blown depression. Instead, she just concentrated on Ami and how much she missed her presence here this morning. She'd gotten used to company in the mornings, so her solitude was made even harder for that. She rolled over onto her side, hugging a pillow to her chest and imagining soft, pale skin and silky blue hair. "Ami-chan..." She breathed.

"Minako?" The sudden voice made her shriek. She quickly let go of the pillow and hid beneath the covers.

"Artemis!" She said loudly, trying to recover. Minako felt Artemis jump onto her bed and pad softly to where she was cringing in embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" Artemis said, sounding a bit concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm totally great." She didn't dare reveal her face, though. From the heat in her cheeks, it was obvious that she was beet-red.

"Okay...anyway, it's nice to see you again."

"Hey...yeah!" Minako sat upright, her embarrassment forgotten for a moment. "I was meaning to talk to you about that, cat." She said, looming threateningly over the white feline. "It was really nice of you to come visit me all of that one time. I'm so glad you were able to take the time out of your busy schedule."

"Oh...yeah...um..." Artemis put a paw behind his head and closed his eyes as he fumbled. "Sorry about that Minako...but you know how it is with a new enemy...Luna and I had to talk strategy, and then Diana needs attention, of course..." His voice was growing weaker and weaker. "And, you know...it's kind of a long walk..."

"Yes, I do know. I walked it with a torso full of broken bones yesterday!" She flopped melodramatically against the bed, her nose turned loftily up in the air.

"Oh, come on Minako...I'm sorry I didn't visit...I really am." Artemis hung his head mournfully. "I promise it won't happen again..."

Minako relented and gave a small chuckle. "I hope not...that would mean that I got hurt that bad again, and I think I'd like to avoid that." She sat up again. "So, what have you and Luna come up with?"

Artemis gave a little cat's shrug. "Not much...the ball is really in their court. You know Setsuna doesn't think that they'll try to use the wedges anymore."

"Right..." Minako nodded in agreement. The black pyramids that their enemy had tried to use to tear the space of Tokyo apart were terribly costly to produce...after losing three in one night, Setsuna had judged that this Lord Hadron probably couldn't spare the resources to try again. "So then what?"

"Well, it's always possible that they feel it's worth the cost, and they'll keep trying, but we seem to have that pretty much under control. If they don't, there's not a lot we can do other than to see what they try next."

Minako thought for a moment. She was the leader of the Inner Senshi, and it seemed like too long since she'd attended her duties. "What about the one who tried to kidnap Hotaru? Muon, right?"

Artemis nodded. "We've thought about him...but again, other than keeping watch over her, there's not much more we can do."

Wincing, Minako remembered the Ryoujin, the three powerful daeva that had accompanied Muon, one of whom were responsible for her injuries. "I wish we had a better plan for him...he plays rough."

"Agreed." Artemis said with a sympathetic look. He yawned and stretched before curling up on the bed and peering up at her. "And how are you, anyway?"

"A lot better, thanks." Minako smiled.

"Not what I was talking about."

Minako looked surprised. "What?"

"I meant, how are things with you and Ami?" Minako suddenly blushed deeply, looking at the white cat in shock. Artemis just smiled. "Come on, Minako...you didn't really think I wouldn't notice? I probably realized it before you did." He cleaned his paw and gave her a sly look. "You know you talk in your sleep."

"Oh..." Minako's blush continued unabated. She supposed she shouldn't really be surprised. There was nobody, absolutely nobody, who knew her as well as Artemis. "I guess things are...okay." She bit her lip. "I mean...I still don't know what I want to do...I know she has feelings for me too...but..."

Artemis looked curious. "But what?"

Minako leaned back against her pillows with a long sigh. "I think I love her too much...my feelings towards her are so strong I scare myself."

The snowy white feline sighed deeply. "I was afraid of that."

"Afraid of what?" Minako asked, blinking.

Artemis shook his head. "Never mind...so, she likes you too, huh? What are you doing about it?"

"Nothing...I just told you I don't know what to do!" Minako snapped. Then she sighed again. "I know I should do something, one way or another. Ami's probably not going to do anything now...she'd be afraid I'd think she was being pushy.

"But...I still don't know what I want. I'd like to be with her, but I'm afraid of the idea, too." Now that she could admit that to herself, she could admit it to Artemis.

"Well, I guess there's no reason to move too fast." Artemis said. He chuckled a bit. "Unless you're afraid there's someone just waiting for a chance to snatch Ami up while you're hesitating."

Mamoru's smiling face suddenly popped into Minako's head, along with a stab of anger. "I don't know what you're talking about." She snapped irritably, then winced in embarrassment.

Artemis just looked surprised. "I was only kidding...is there someone else?"

"No..." Minako said tiredly. "It's nothing, really. Just...Ami and Mamoru are pretty good friends, and I keep getting jealous every time I see them together. I've been trying to get over it, but it's no good. I've never really been the jealous type, so I don't get it." Fortunately, she couldn't see Artemis roll his eyes at Minako's denial, remembering several rather bitter clashes with Makoto over a series of cute boys. Then Artemis did a double take.

"Wait...wait...you don't get it?" Minako looked over at the cat to see him giving her an expression that asked how she managed to dress herself in the morning. "You and the person you love have a mutual friend, and he's closer to her than you, and they spend a lot of time together. And you've been getting jealous of him. And you don't get it?"

"No..." Minako said slowly. "Why? Should I?"

Artemis groaned. "Minako...don't you think you might just be a little extra-sensitive to the idea of the one you love falling in love with a friend right under your nose?"

Minako continued to look puzzled. "I don't get..." Her eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Alan and Katarina."

Artemis looked up as if asking the heavens for patience. "Alan and Katarina." He confirmed. "You might remember them...you faked your own death to avoid dealing the situation, and then cried about it for...two weeks? Three?"

"I never really thought about it." Minako said, a shocked expression still on her face. "But...I guess you're right. It's a lot alike, isn't it?"

With a gentler expression, Artemis padded across the bed and curled up warmly in Minako's lap. "Minako...I understand. Seeing how your parents 'raise' you, it's not hard to see why you'd have a problem trusting anyone enough to really open up your heart to them. And as much as you cared for him, you never really opened up to Alan."

Minako opened her mouth to protest, but ended up not saying anything. Artemis continued. "You never told him about your parents, or how their neglect hurt you when you were a small child, or how it still hurts you now."

"I...I didn't want to bother him with any of it." She said softly.

"You were afraid that he'd leave you if he found out you had problems like that." Artemis replied. "And he might have." He looked up at his charge. "Anytime you leave yourself open, you risk getting hurt. Even with Ami, you might end up with a broken heart all over again."

"Ami found out about Mom last night." Minako said, he voice still hovering just above a whisper. "I broke down, and she stayed. She didn't leave until I was okay again, and she had to go home."

"Then I guess she's a few steps ahead of Alan, isn't she?" Artemis said with a small cat's smile. He yawned and laid his head over his paws.

"Look, I know you, Minako, but I'm not you. I can't tell you if you really want to be with Ami, or if that would be the best thing for you. But I know she makes you happy...really happy. And, in your case especially, one of the most important things in life is finding someone we can really, truly love, and who'll really, truly love up back."

Minako nodded, and then paused. "What do you mean, in my case especially?"

Artemis looked thoughtful, as if he was carefully choosing his words. Before he had a chance to speak, however, the phone on Minako's bedside table began ringing, and she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Minako-chan!" Rei's voice sounded bright and cheerful. "How are you feeling?"

"Um...hi Rei-chan...I'm fine." She glanced at the clock. "Rei, shouldn't you be at school? It's not even eleven yet."

"Oh, I am at school." Rei replied. A rush of chattering noise in the background confirmed this. "I have a little break between classes, so I thought I'd give you a call and see how you were settling back in."

"I'm fine..." Minako looked around the room. "Thanks for calling Rei-chan, it was nice of you."

"No problem..." A thought seemed to strike suddenly. "Say, Minako-chan, do you want to go get something to eat after school?"

"Sure!" Minako said, but then she paused. "Wait...I can't really walk around much...the walk home yesterday just about killed me."

"Don't worry about it. Haruka and Michiru are treating Makoto and I, so they're giving me a ride. I'll just tell them to swing by your place on the way there."

"That sounds great!" Minako said, smiling. Going out did sound great...she'd been cooped up for far too long.

"Okay, just be ready around four, and we'll be there. See you then!" Rei hung up, and Minako leaned back against her pillow, humming. She looked down into her lap, where Artemis was still curled up.

"I'm sorry Artemis...you were about to tell me..." She frowned a bit. "What were we talking about before she called?"

Whatever Artemis had been about to say, he had thought better of it. "I can't remember either." He said with a grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a nap."

-------------------

With slightly less difficulty than she'd had recently, Minako had gotten herself cleaned and dressed and was ready to go. Four o'clock rolled around, with no sign of anyone. After about ten minutes, Minako reached for the phone to call to the Outers' house and see what was up. At that moment, however, Haruka pulled up in front of the house on her motorcycle.

Minako rushed downstairs to meet her. "Hi Haruka-kun." She smiled as Haruka handed her a helmet.

"Hop on." Haruka said with a small smile, looking rather pensive about something. She pulled up her jacket against the cold air, and Minako sat behind her, latching her hands around the older girl's waist. They were off, Haruka darting her bike gracefully through the traffic with the control and speed of a true professional. Minako held on as tight as she could without worrying about hurting the driver. Riding with Haruka was always exhilarating, but Minako was never completely comfortable with some of the risks she took.

So it was with a certain amount of relief that she hopped off the motorcycle in front of a place she'd never been to before. It was an extremely elegant Western-style teashop, with a wide outdoor courtyard filled with tables. In the cold weather, this area was quite empty, all the clientele ensconced in the much warmer and cozier interior.

Haruka ran her fingers through her short hair as she removed her helmet and turned to look at Minako, who was shaking her hair out. "Look, Minako-chan..." She sighed and shook her head, a smile on her lips that was half-amused, half-rueful. "Just so you know, this wasn't my or Michiru's idea...I think Makoto and Rei cooked it up this morning."

Minako blinked. "I don't understand."

Haruka laughed softly. "I guess not." Without offering any further explanation, she headed inside, her helmet tucked under her arm. Not seeing anything better to do, Minako followed suit.

The inside of the teashop was all gleaming dark wood and the heady smells of good tea. The girl behind the counter gave Haruka a shy little wave as she entered, and blushed as Haruka waved back. Minako chuckled softly to herself.

The group was waiting at a table close to the corner. Michiru was already there, along with Makoto and Rei. And, sitting next to Michiru at the little round table, was Ami. Minako's heart gave a sharp little flutter as she saw the blue-haired girl, and did a backflip when Ami gave her a sweet smile of welcome.

"Hi Minako-chan!" Makoto waved enthusiastically, speaking a little louder than necessary in the rather small room. "I ran into Ami-chan on the way out of school, and I invited her to come along. Knew you wouldn't mind." A little warning bell went off in Minako's head. She looked over at Rei, who was watching her reaction with entirely too much interest, and whipped her head around the moment she realized she was being watched. -So that's what Haruka was talking about.- Minako thought. -I smell a setup.-

That theory was confirmed an instant later as she approached the table. The round tables were not large, and clearly incapable of seating more than four people. Rei glanced around. "Oh...I guess there's not enough room." She looked into the corner, where a smaller table was set with two chairs, just next the larger table. "Tell you what...why don't you sit over there with Minako-chan, Ami-chan, and Haruka-kun can have your seat."

"Sure." Ami smiled, blissfully unaware of any matchmaking attempts. With a little shifting around, Minako found herself sitting in front of Ami with what felt like hundreds of butterflies fluttering unmercifully in her stomach. "Hi Mina-chan." Ami said happily. Minako felt her face flush with pleasure at the affectionate nickname. From the side, she heard a small sound and turned her head quickly, just in time to see Makoto and Rei suddenly become very interested in the other side of the room.

"Mina-chan?" Ami said curiously. "Is something wrong?" Minako looked back at Ami and shook her head with a smile.

"No, nothing at all." A server approached and Minako glanced down at the menu. She had been hungry before she had arrived, but her appetite had utterly vanished. So she simply ordered a cup of herbal tea, and Ami did the same.

"Are...are you feeling any better?" Ami asked softly. Minako looked into her cool, blue eyes and saw the concern mirrored there, and knew she wasn't talking about her injuries.

Minako had a bright smile ready for display, but stopped herself. -No.- An inner voice told her. -With her, you should be honest. It'll be okay.- So instead, she just gave into a small, sad smile and let her eyes slide down to her hands. "I am feeling better." She said quietly.

Ami nodded a bit. "Good."

"Ami-chan..." Minako looked up at her. "Thanks for staying with me last night. I really...needed it."

With a blush, Ami now turned her eyes downward. "It was nothing."

"Not to me." Minako said earnestly. "I...I..." She took a deep breath and shook her head a little bit.

"You're welcome." Ami said in a very gentle tone, smiling. Minako looked at her and had a sudden desire to run her fingers against her pale cheek. It was so strong that she found her hand sliding across the table before she could think to stop herself.

Just as she began to slide her hand back, however, Ami reached out and laid her hand on top of Minako's. Minako immediately turned her hand over and curled her fingers around the other girl's. They remained like that just for a moment, just long enough for the warmth from their hands to radiate into each other, and then they released, their fingers closing gently as they did so.

Minako saw Rei and Makoto grinning at each other like idiots out of the corner of her eye, but she was unable to feel even vaguely irritated. In fact, she found herself feeling a bit grateful despite herself. She smiled at Ami, opening her mouth to speak, but she stopped, a confused expression on her face as she looked out the window over Ami's shoulder.

Ami tilted her head and looked at her. "Mina-chan?" Minako pointed at the window and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What's going on out there?" All the senshi turned to look in the direction she was indicating. Outside, in the empty courtyard, the air was shimmering, as though there was a heat haze. That didn't seem likely, as frost had begun forming at night. As they watched, however, the haze began swirling around in a circle, looking more like a whirlwind. Everyone slowly got to their feet. A few other customers were looking out the window, but everyone else seemed fairly oblivious.

The strange phenomenon continued to change. The swirling slowed gradually to a halt, and the shimmer in the air separated into five pieces. Then, with a massive flash of green, there was an explosion that sent the metal chairs and tables flying in all directions, including into the wall and windows of the shop. That got everyone's attention, and soon everyone but the Sailor Senshi in the corner were rushing towards the opposite wall.

Ami was the first to recover from the flash and lowered her arm from her face, squinting to see through the cracked window. "Look!" She gasped. In the now empty courtyard, five object were hovering about a meter off the ground, five black, smooth objects that looked like upside down teardrops. They were about a meter and a half long, and seemed to be spinning slowly, though they were so uniform it was hard to tell.

They had arranged themselves in a circle, and in the center of that circle stood..."Gluon!" Makoto shouted. Sure enough, it was the general, his green hair looking somewhat disheveled as it fell around his shoulders. His arms were crossed, and he appeared to be waiting.

"That's enough." Haruka said, placing a hand on Michiru's shoulder. "Let's go." The two immediately ran into a door behind the counter, and the three Inner Senshi followed suit. They pelted down a hallway, rudely shoving several employees out of the way on the way. They ran up a narrow staircase and came to a locked door.

Everyone stopped at the lock. It looked rather substantial. Makoto shouldered her way to the front. "Stand aside." Everyone backed away as far as they could in the tiny stairwell. With a cry, Makoto slammed her fist against the lock. Not only was it badly damaged, but the door opened with a resounding crash, bouncing back when it hit it's maximum. Makoto caught it with her other hand, shaking the other painfully.

"Nice, Mako-chan!" Minako cheered. Makoto just grinned and rubbed the back of her head.

"Gotta be direct sometimes." The Senshi went through the door and found themselves on the roof, a chill breeze whipping around them under the slate-gray sky. They all looked at each other and nodded.

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"URANUS PLANET POWER!"

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!"

"MAKE UP!"

Transformed, they ran to the edge of the building. Below, Gluon with exactly where he was before, arms still crossed. However, he was staring right back at them. His eyes seemed unnaturally wide, and the grin he flashed at them seemed just a bit cracked. "Well, I see Tachyon is as reliable as ever." He laughed, a harsh sound with no humor. "Farewell, Sailor Senshi!"

Without warning, the five teardrops had changed orientation, their blunt ends pointed directly at the group on the roof. The next instant, they were speeding right at them, moving so fast they blurred in the air. The Senshi barely had time to leap away before they smashed into the brick of the shop's wall with a resounding crash. Screams filtered up from the shop below, along with the sound of people fleeing the premises.

The six of them landed in the courtyard below. As Venus hit the ground, her knees buckled and she fell forward, clutching her sides in pain. She felt hands on her shoulders and looked up to find Mercury kneeling in front of her, the others looking at her worriedly. "I'm fine." She gasped. Mercury helped her to her feet. "Where's Gluon?"

Uranus was looking up at the roof. Gluon was there, near the spot they had vacated seconds earlier. The black teardrops were once again surrounding him, though now they were revolving in a circle around him. He smirked down at them. "I am sorry. But this is a much better vantage point, don't you think?"

"I've had enough of this!" Mars said, stepping forward. "FIRE SOUL BIRD!" The flaming bird streaked towards gluon, shrieking defiantly. Before it could reach him, however, one of the objects interposed itself in the path of the attack. The flames seeped into the black surface, and lines of red energy danced from teardrop to teardrop. Mars looked shocked.

"Mercury..." Venus said out of the corner of her mouth. "What are those?" Mercury's computer was already out, images flashing in her visor as she furiously punched keys.

"They're taking the energy right from Mars' attack and bouncing it around. I think we could probably..." Her eyes widened. "Mars, WATCH OUT!" All five teardrops suddenly burst into red light and pointed their sharp ends downwards. A beam of red energy came from each of them and headed directly towards Mars.

Jupiter was moving the second Ami began speaking. Just as the beams made contact, she slammed into Mars from the side, knocking them both away. The beams still glanced off them, and they were surrounded by a flaming red aura. Both cried out in pain, but shakily pulled themselves to their feet.

"What happened?" Jupiter asked.

Mercury was frowning. "Those beams...they used Mars' energy, but on an opposite plane. If they had hit her alone, they probably would have drained her power down to nothing! They got scrambled when they hit you too, Jupiter."

"Exactly." Gluon gloated. "These are Death's Tears. Your attacks cannot destroy them." One of them streaked downwards and slammed into the ground just as Sailor Neptune jumped out of the way. Gluon laughed. "You have been more of an irritant than Lord Hadron anticipated, but now, it's all over." He raised his hands, and the Tears began hammering down at the Sailor Senshi again and again, making them scramble to find cover. All the while, Gluon's cracked laughter echoed above them.

Uranus found herself back to back with Mercury. "Maybe they can't handle two attacks at once." Mercury panted.

"Sounds good." Uranus agreed. They each squared off against the Tears speeding towards them. "WORLD SHAKING!"

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" The attacks hit dead on, but the two Tears flashed yellow and blue and spun around, sending a beam of identically colored energy at them. They hit at the same time, making the two of them cry out and slump to the ground. As they were touching at the time, however, they remained largely unharmed.

"We can't...keep this up..." Uranus said through clenched teeth.

"I know...but if one of those beams catch us alone, we're done." Mercury replied.

"Any ideas?"

"I'll let you know." They leapt out of the way as another Tear flung itself at them.

-------------------

A couple of blocks away, Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-Moon had been having an argument with Sailor Saturn. "I don't care. I'm coming." The dark haired girl said softly, but stubbornly.

"Haruka and Michiru told me to protect you!" Sailor Moon cried. "You can't fight with us."

"I won't be in any more danger than the rest of you. I might be in less...they don't want to kill me."

"Please Saturn..." Chibi-Moon said, desperately. "This whole thing might just be a trap to get to you..." She sniffed, and tears appeared in her eyes. "I don't know...w-what I'd do without you."

Saturn hesitated for a moment, then smiled. She placed her hand against the shorter girl's cheek. "Then you can protect me." She said softly. "And I'll protect you." She looked over at Sailor Moon. "Isn't that how it should be? Sailor Senshi protect each other. I'll be safer with the rest of you than I will be alone."

Sailor Moon continued to look torn about the issue, glancing up the street, and then back at the younger warriors. Finally she exhaled heavily, her cheeks puffing outward. "Fine...you can come." She smiled brashly. "Well, let's go!"

They ran down the street as quickly as they could, arriving at the scene of the battle just moments after Uranus and Mercury launched their dual attacks. They leapt over the small brick wall surrounding the courtyard, ready to join the battle.

But the instant Saturn touched the surface of the courtyard, a blue glow appeared in the center of the area. The Tears stopped their relentless assaults, and everyone turned to look at the disturbance.

Muon stepped out of the glow. His eyes were fixed firmly on Sailor Saturn. "Excellent." He said in his dead voice. He turned to look at Gluon. "Dispose of the others, but leave Saturn to me." He was about to turn around, but Gluon began laughing.

Everyone, Muon and Senshi alike, stared at Gluon as he laughed. He laughed so hard that he fell backwards, his head tilted upwards as tears slid down his face. "I never imagined it would be so easy! I knew you would come, but you...you!" He pulled himself to his feet, hunching over slightly as his fists clenched so tightly his arms shook, sniggering insanely. "Dead...you're all dead!" He threw his arms upwards, and the Tears rose high into the sky. He let his arms drop, and they fell point first, embedding themselves more than halfway into the concrete with an impact that make the ground shake. An unpleasant, high-pitched whine filled the air, and bright green lightning began to crackle around each Tear.

Muon looked at the Tears, and then back up at Gluon. "So...this is your plan." He said absently. "Interesting."

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE::

A blackboard. Sailor Mercury and Venus step out, wearing lab coats over their fukus. Mercury is wearing her glasses and holding a pointer.:

Mercury- :bowing: Hello everyone, I'm Sailor Mercury.

Venus- :striking a pose: And I'm Sailor Venus!

Mercury- Jessica was kind enough to give us this expanded edition of Author's Notes to add a little educational content to the story. By the way, we hope you're enjoying the story so far!

Venus- :grins: Ami-chan didn't like the idea of sharing it with everyone at first...:winks: But I can be VERY persuasive.

Mercury- :coughs and blushes: Right. Anyway...:turns the blackboard over: Welcome to Mercury and Venus' Guide to the Subatomic World!

Venus- That's right! You might not know it...I sure didn't...but all of the nasty villains we've been fighting so far have been named after teeny tiny little particles, even smaller than atoms.

Mercury- Right Venus...to start with...:points at the appropriate diagrams on the board as she speaks: Hadrons. Hadrons are those particles made up of other particles called quarks. There are two kinds of Hadrons...Baryons, which are made up of three quarks, and the other variety, with a name you might recognize...Mesons!

Venus- :folds her arms: And that's where all the French particles live!

Mecrury- :sweatdrops: Excuse me?

Venus- Maisons...homes for all the little French particles! They must be so cute...

Mercury- :pinches the top of her nose, as if fighting off a headache: That's not quite right, Venus...a meson is actually a particle made up of a quark and an anti-quark. :smiles: But moving on...next there are Gluons. There are only four forces in nature...and the most powerful of those, the strong nuclear force, is transmitted through particles called gluons...because they 'glue' particles together. These little particles hold the quarks together in baryons like protons and neutrons.

Venus- Hey, Mercury, isn't there a weak nuclear force, too?

Mercury- :smiles in surprise: Why, that's right Venus, there is!

Venus- :thinks a moment: So...since glue is strong...I guess that the weak force would be carried by pastons! Because paste is way, way weaker than glue.

Mercury- :gives a pained smile: Actually...the weak nuclear force is carried by a class of particles usually called the weak bosons...but that's another story. Let's move on to muons. Muons are fairly simple to explain...everyone probably knows what an electron is...a very, very tiny particle that carries a single negative charge...they orbit atomic nuclei and are the polar opposites of protons. Well, muons carry a single negative charge as well, but they're much, much more massive. Also unlike electrons, muons are solitary particles, never helping to form any larger particles...they're sort of lonely and mysterious, don't you think?

Venus- :leans against the side of the blackboard and snores until Mercury pokes her sharply in the stomach with her pointer:

Mercury- Finally, we come to the tachyon! Tachyons are hypothetical particles...nobody has ever actually found any evidence of one. But they're really interesting anyway. Tachyons, if they're real, are particles...

Venus- :makes a face: That have no taste at all.

Mercury- :blinks: What?

Venus- :continues to make a face: Tacky little particles...I bet they never get invited to the good parties.

:Mercury yanks Venus behind the blackboard. There are some muffled sounds, a few of which sound suspiciously like moans. Both look a little disheveled when they emerge, and Venus looks extremely dazed.: Mercury- :cleaning her glasses: Okay, that should prevent any further interruptions.

Venus- :nods enthusiastically:

Mercury- Tachyons are particles that would travel faster than light...that has some fascinating ramifications. First, they'd travel backwards through time! That's one thing that makes them hard to detect...you have to look for them BEFORE they're created. Second, they'd have imaginary mass! What's imaginary mass? That's a concept WAY too complicated to get into now, but it would look like regular mass from our point of view. Like I said, so far, nobody has detected a tachyon, but that doesn't mean they don't exist! Human technology and science is improving all the time, so it might be just a matter of time before we track them down. Or they might not be real at all. :winks:

Venus- :looks at Mercury with a calculating expression on her face:

Mercury- :smiles conspiratorially: Now...Jessica might not like this, but sometime in the future there'll be another particle that you might all be interested in, so I don't think it would be a bad idea to tell them a little bit about them right now...of course, I'm talking abou...

Venus- :leans over and whispers something into Mercury's ear:

Mercury- :flushes deeply and looks at Venus with a breathless expression. Venus grins and nods. Mercury stares at her for a moment, then looks back: And that's all for the Special Expanded Author's Notes! Stay tuned for the next chapter!

:Mercury runs off camera, pulling Venus after her. Fade out.:


	14. Chapter 14

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 14

The Sailor Senshi were momentarily stunned, first by Muon's sudden appearance, then by Gluon's outburst and subsequent action. Sailor Neptune was the first to recover, and she did not look happy. She turned not to either of the enemies, however, nor to the black objects embedded in the concrete. She turned directly to Sailor Moon.

"What," she asked in a deceptively mild tone of voice, "is she doing here?" She pointed at Sailor Saturn, who had backed up towards Sailor Chibi-Moon. "I thought we all agreed to keep her out of trouble."

"Um..." Sailor Moon smiled awkwardly. "She...wanted to come?"

"She wanted to come." The whining from the Tears embedded in the concrete became louder. Neptune turned to them, along with the rest of the Senshi, but not before giving Sailor Moon a look that clearly said the subject was not closed. Sailor Moon looked less than pleased.

Sailor Uranus, in the meantime, had placed herself between Muon and Sailor Saturn, holding the younger Senshi behind her protectively and giving the blue-clad man a hard glare. "Not very popular, are you?" She spat, glancing up at the still laughing Gluon.

"It would seem not." Muon said, looking at his creations with a kind of dead-eyed curiosity. The green lightning that crackled around the exposed hemispheres cut out abruptly, and at the same instant, the concrete floor of the courtyard changed to match the texture of the Tears, becoming smooth, black and reflective.

"What...what's happening?" Jupiter asked, looking from one side to the other.

"Gluon has used his power to bond my creations with the ground of this area." Muon answered. "I admit, I had not anticipated his gaining this level of control over my weapons."

"You created those things?" Sailor Mars said, aghast. "Well, stop them!" She looked up at Gluon, who was grinning down on all of them, as if waiting to see what they would do next. "I think he's going to kill you, too."

"I cannot." Muon said nothing else, continuing to observe with a notable lack of enthusiasm.

In a far corner of the courtyard, Mercury had managed to help Sailor Venus find relative shelter behind a pile of broken chairs and tables. Venus's face was tight and strained, and sweat had broken on her forehead. She had managed to avoid any hits from the Tears, but with the stress of moving to avoid them, Mercury was afraid she had damaged her healing ribs again.

"Thanks." Venus said with a small smile. "But I'm afraid we might have just wasted our time...it doesn't look like those things will be flying around much more."

Mercury smiled back. "I'm just glad you're here...you'll be safe." She placed her gloved hand on the altered ground and rubbed the new surface. "How bizarre..." She murmured. Venus laughed weakly.

"Oh, come on. It's not that weird." She crossed her legs and sat up. "What do you have?"

Mercury's visor came on again, and Venus could see the flashes and fragments of light that raced across it. Mercury winced and quickly shut it off. "I don't know! There's too much for the computer to analyze."

They looked back out to the center of the courtyard where the other Senshi and Muon still stood. Uranus looked furious. "Well if you can't do something, I will." She stepped forward, glaring up at Gluon. "SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" The curved energy sword spun out towards the roof of the shop, but hit an invisible barrier as it left the boundary of the courtyard, and vanished. "What the..."

An eyeblink later, a pillar of yellow energy erupted from the ground directly beneath Uranus. Her body became rigid as the energy rushed over her, leaving her unable even to scream. "Uranus!" Neptune cried out. The Senshi of the Sea ran to her lover and heedlessly grabbed her arm, pulling her with all her might. Neptune threw her head back and screamed in pain, but did not loosen her grip.

At first, her attempt seemed futile. Mars ran forward, tears in her eyes, ready to try to pull Neptune away. But just as she reached the two Outer Senshi, there was a massive detonation of green and yellow, and the pillar vanished, Uranus and Neptune spinning away to rest on the ground, unmoving, fukus singed and smoking.

Jupiter knelt by the two of them, looking worried. Mars ran up, panicked, Sailor Moon and Mercury running just a few steps behind. "Are they..."

With a small, comforting smile, Jupiter shook her head. "They'll be fine...they'll be out for awhile, though."

Gluon was smirking. "Too easy...I can't believe how easy this is!" He laughed, but got himself under control before he lost it again. "There's no way out of the field I've created...every single attack you launch will come back at you. And that goes for you as well, Muon." He grinned at Muon, waiting to see how he would react.

Muon, however, just looked at him with the same blank expression. "Obviously." He finally said, turning his back on Gluon, his cobalt robes swirling around him. Gluon was livid.

"I swear, Muon...before I kill you, I will hear you scream." He raised his arms again, and the green lightning began to crackle from the embedded Tears, spreading along the ground and forming a honeycomb pattern. A sudden flash of red appeared, washing over Gluon and forcing him to form a green barrier around himself. The pattern in the courtyard below faded out.

"I told you, Gluon." Sailor Pluto had leapt from a neighboring roof and was rising from a crouch in front of him. "Your tricks are useless against me."

Gluon lowered his arms from their defensive position, a wide-eyed smile on his face. "And you are a fool for thinking I wouldn't have new tricks, Sailor Pluto!" With a loud cry, he slammed his fists together. Pluto was already rushing towards him, energy flashing around her Garnet Orb as she moved to attack. As the Rod swung downward, Gluon reached up and caught it on his wrist.

There was a violent concussion and red and green energy flew all across the roof. Pluto looked shocked, and Gluon just smirked. "You see? New trick." Pluto looked confused, and then her eyes widened in understanding. The garnet energy flying from her Rod hadn't stopped, and was now flowing towards the invisible barrier around the courtyard.

Pluto straightened and turned away, but it was too late. The barrier became visible for a moment, a pulsing field of darkness surrounding the courtyard, swelling up where Pluto's energy collided with it. The darkness reached outward and absorbed Pluto into it, yanking her backward with a loud exclamation and holding her immobile and limp in the air above the courtyard.

The Senshi below all cried out as they saw Pluto disabled. Saturn was the worst hit of all, and would have run headlong into the barrier if Chibi-Moon hadn't pulled her back. "Setsuna-mama!" She screamed. "Setsuna-mama!"

"Why don't you save her?" Muon asked, stepping forward. Saturn and Chibi-Moon turned to him. Chibi-Moon glared at him furiously, and opened her mouth to yell, but Saturn put a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"None of my creations, no matter how Gluon had altered them, have the capacity to resist the energy I know you possess." For the first time, there was a hint of eagerness in his voice, and his eyes were glowing very softly. "Show me."

Sailor Saturn stared at him, and for a moment, her eyes dulled, her voice sliding again into that of her other, ancient persona. "So...I see." Her eyes brightened again, and she shook her head, as if to clear it. She bit her lip and looked down. "I...can't." She gripped the haft of her Silence Glaive tightly, her shoulders quivering. "What you're asking...is impossible." Chibi-Moon stood in front of her, and Saturn gratefully leaned on her, giving her a one armed hug.

Chibi-Moon glared at Muon, but he didn't even register her presence. He continued to stare at Saturn, measuring her carefully. "I understand." He finally said. "Disappointing." He turned his gaze back up to the rooftop, where Gluon still stood, gloating.

A rose flew by Gluon's cheek, and he frowned suddenly, spinning around. The rose flew into the barrier and disintegrated. On the opposite side of the roof, Tuxedo Kamen stood there, his cape draped over him. "You." Gluon said, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

"Tuxedo Kamen." Was the soft reply. He threw his cape back, brandishing his cane. "Release them. Now!"

"Do you really expect me to?" Gluon said, smirking. He clenched his fists and green energy once again swirled over them.

"No." Tuxedo Kamen twirled the cane around and rushed Gluon. His cane rebounded off the emerald aura around Gluon's fist, but he jumped backwards before the counterstrike. He threw another rose, and Gluon just managed to move his hand to deflect it. Without pause, he rushed forward, forcing Tuxedo Kamen to backflip out of the path of the attack.

From her sitting position, Sailor Venus had watched everything that had happened. She looked up at where Tuxedo Kamen and Gluon were fighting furiously to the cheers of Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon. Then she looked at Sailor Pluto, still unconscious and limp in the air, and down at Uranus and Neptune, who were just beginning to stir. Finally, her gaze fell on the five Death's Tears, still embedded into the transformed ground.

She yanked herself to her feet, ignoring the flashes of pain from her fiercely protesting ribs. She joined the other Senshi, who turned to look at her. "Venus!" Mercury exclaimed, running to meet her. Venus smiled in return.

"Okay guys, it's time to stop playing around. I have an idea." She looked at Chibi-Moon. "You look after Saturn...and yourself." Venus glanced at Muon. "I don't trust him. The rest of you, it's time." She held her hands out. The two youngest Senshi ran for shelter in the debris Venus had just vacated.

Mercury took Venus' right hand, and Sailor Moon took her right. Then Mark joined hands with Sailor Moon and Jupiter completed the circle. "Okay...we need to do this fast." Venus said. "Tuxedo Kamen can't hold out much longer, and I don't think we can do this if Gluon has a chance to concentrate." "So let's go all out." Jupiter smiled confidently. "No problem."

All five of the warriors closed their eyes and concentrated. Each began to glow from within, surrounded by the light of their power. A pillar of identical color flew up from beneath each one, and they all staggered a bit, but held firm. "Now!" Venus cried out.

As one, the Inner Senshi called out. "SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!" The pillars were lost in the blazing white sphere of energy that sprang from the Sailor Senshi. It expanded, throwing back the barrier of energy that surrounded the courtyard.

"NO!" Gluon screamed, looking towards them. He pressed his fists together and slammed them into the floor beneath him, cracking the surface and creating a massive green explosion that sent Tuxedo Kamen skidding across the roof. But it was too late. When the light cleared, the concrete floor of the courtyard was returned to normal, and the Death's Tears lay on their sides, rolling gently across the ground.

Sailor Pluto remained suspended in the air for a moment, then started to fall. Fortunately, before she hit the ground, Neptune and Uranus both caught her, having been awoken by the light and fury of the attack. The five Inner Senshi slumped to the ground, exhausted. Tuxedo Kamen leapt to the ground to aid them. Muon had watched the attack with a complete lack of interest, and now turned his face towards Gluon.

Gluon's face was contorted with rage. His shoulders shook, and he opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Finally, he threw his head back and screamed in rage. The Tears sprang into the air again, flying around and ripping deep gouges in the concrete where the points made contact.

"Enough!" Muon said, raising his voice to be heard over the traitorous Gluon. "Nothing can be gained by continuing this. End it." A silver shadow slid up the side of the shop. Gluon took no notice, continuing to shriek in anger. His scream cut off sharply when a silver point suddenly appeared in the center of his chest. He looked down at it with a complete lack of understanding.

Gluon looked behind him. There stood Gylax, her arm extended into a point that she had stabbed right through his back and out the other side. "Gylax...?" He gasped, falling to his knees. "Why?"

"A better offer, Gluon." She said, a smirk in her hollow voice. "Now...farewell." She raised her other arm and it also flew into a needle like point, this one stabbing right through his neck. Below, the Sailor Senshi all turned their heads from the gruesome sight. There was a final, gurgling sigh, and Gluon collapsed into the ground.

Everyone stared, first at the silvery daeva who stood atop the now fairly battle-worn tea shop, and then back at Muon. "Now." Muon said softly. The Death's Tears wobbled for a moment, flashing green for a moment. Then an azure glow swept them, and they snapped to attention. "Now, Sailor Saturn. You may not be what I thought, but I will still have you. Come to me."

"No!" Uranus shouted, pulling Saturn behind her. She pulled herself shakily to her feet. Muon simply raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be foolish. None of you have to power to oppose me now."

"Shut up!" Uranus retorted. "You'll have to kill me if you want her." Neptune and Pluto also pulled themselves up, forming a wall between Muon and his quarry.

"So be it." The Tears all spun around until their points were leveled at the Outer Senshi. It sounded like Saturn was struggling, but Uranus was finding the strength to hold her.

"Not...so fast." Sailor Moon had also pulled herself to her feet. She glared at Muon. "Why do you want her?"

Muon turned to look at the furious Moon Princess. "I wish to study her." One of the black Tears turned its point towards her. "Do not try to thwart me."

Sailor Moon took several deep breaths. With each breath, she seemed to gain strength. "You're not taking her. You're not hurting anyone else. You're leaving. Now." Tuxedo Kamen stepped behind her and placed a supporting hand on her shoulder, and Sailor Moon smiled back at him. She revealed her scepter, and twirled it in her hand. A light pink glow seemed to suffuse her.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" The attack sped out, building on itself and splitting into five twisting coils of pink energy. Each one hit a Tear, and each Tear burst into pink light. They held firm, however, and began to build up their own energy for a counter attack. Sailor Moon cried out, her pigtails flying out straight behind her from the energy pouring from her body. With one final, massive detonation the Death's Tears exploded, black fragments flying high into the air.

Muon looked irritated for a moment. He turned fully to Sailor Moon, blue lightning crackling around his hand as he reached for his saber. Then he stopped. The Sailor Senshi had all stood up now. They were weary and damaged, but each warrior bore a look of fierce determination. "Leave." Uranus said behind him, smiling. "Now."

"Hmm...Sailor Moon." The light faded, and his hand slipped from his hilt. "I see...Sailor Senshi, the ancient guardians of the Silver Millennium. Now I understand...it seems once again I have been guilty of underestimating you." He lifted his hand, and a portal appeared behind him. "It will not happen again. Gylax." He stepped backwards through the portal. Gylax leapt from the roof, collapsing into a puddle that slithered across the ground with blinding speed into the vortex. The portal closed, and there was a moment of utter silence.

Uranus drew Saturn around to her front, lightly resting her hands on the Senshi of Silence's shoulders. She closed her eyes, a lopsided smile on her face. "Well, I guess we won."

With that, cheers broke out from the gathered Senshi. Uranus and Neptune embraced closely, and Saturn ran to Pluto, who knelt to embrace her. They were joined a moment later by Chibi-Moon, almost falling over when the pink-haired tornado flung herself onto Saturn's back.

Meanwhile, Tuxedo Kamen looked on, smiling as the Inner Senshi exuberantly hugged one another in victory. Sailor Moon popped up from the crowd and waved towards the Outer Senshi. "Hey guys! Come join us!"

Neptune looked back at Sailor Moon with a sugary-sweet smile. "Just remember, Your Highness...we still have to discuss exactly what Sailor Saturn was doing here." Though her voice was bright and cheery, there was an unmistakable threat in her voice.

Sailor Moon cringed a little, her arm still half-extended, her smile growing somewhat shaky. She spun around in place and dashed through her bodyguard as quickly as possible. "Tuxedo Kamen! I didn't see you there!"

Sailor Venus had been sticking to the outskirts of the knot of Sailor Senshi, not wanting to aggravate her poor, much-abused ribs anymore than necessary at this point. Like her companions, she was nearly bowled over by Sailor Moon's hasty retreat. She spun around completely once, and reached out blindly for something to support her. Her palm hit something warm and smooth, and looked up to find her hand resting directly on the brooch in the center of Sailor Mercury's bow.

She yanked her hand away, both girls blushing like maniacs. She grinned randomly at Mercury. "Um...thanks for...um...breaking my fall."

"Oh...yes! Erm...any...anytime..." The two Senshi stood there, smiling at each other goofily. Finally, Venus had enough and threw her arms around Ami's neck, pulling her close. Mercury gently slid her arms around her waist in return.

"I'm glad you're okay." Venus whispered, closing her eyes.

Mercury smiled and leaned her head against Venus's. "Me too..." She paused. "I didn't mean it like that...well, I mean I'm glad I'm okay, of course...but I'm really glad you're okay..." Her cheeks became pinker and pinker as she spoke, and finally she decided to just shut up.

Venus pulled back from Mercury enough to look her in the face, grinning. Mercury just blushed more and awkwardly turned her eyes to the ground. "Hey, it's okay...I knew what you meant."

Mercury looked back up, her cheeks still flushed. "Thanks..." They continued looking at each other for a long, still moment. The loud, celebratory noises seemed to fade away as the atmosphere around them changed, becoming charged and heavy. Mercury's eyes half-closed, and she leaned her head in slowly.

Sailor Venus began to tremble slightly. Her mind was buzzing with equal amounts of alarm and excitement, but she didn't pull back. In fact, as she watched Mercury's face approach her, she leaned in as well, her lips parted slightly.

As with many such moments, this one died a quick and ignoble death. Jupiter and Mars ran over and hugged Venus and Mercury from behind respectively. "Hey guys!" Jupiter called out enthusiastically. "We're getting out of here before the cops finally get their courage up. Let's go."

-KILL!- Venus turned with her fists clenched, but managed to restrain her more murderous impulses and be drawn out of the courtyard along with the rest of the Senshi. As she left, she couldn't help but appreciate the irony of being torn away from Mercury by the two girls who seemed to be bent on setting Venus up with her.

-------------------

Once well away from the poor teashop and transformed, the Sailor Senshi were exhausted. Worst hit was Usagi, who was literally falling asleep on her feet. Setsuna and Haruka were little better. Mamoru agreed to drive Usagi, Setsuna Chibi-Usa and Hotaru home. Haruka seemed dead-set on riding her motorcycle home, but Michiru finally informed her that if she insisted on driving, not only would she be riding home alone, she'd be sleeping alone too. So with a large amount of grumbling, Haruka climbed up behind Michiru, who headed home at a more conservative speed that Haruka probably appreciated.

"I didn't know she could drive that thing." Makoto noted, watching the bike's taillights vanishing down the streets of Tokyo.

"I'm not surprised." Rei said with a small smile. Makoto gave her a look out of the corner of her eye, then smiled as well. "Well," Rei continued, looking at the other three girls. "What's the plan now? We could all head to the Shrine..."

Ami yawned. "Actually, I think I'm just going to head home. I need some sleep."

Minako had her hand half-raised, planning on supporting Rei's plan. But on hearing Ami speak, she managed to make her movement look like a stretch. She yawned as well. "Yeah...um...I'm pretty wiped out too." She smiled brightly. "We did great tonight, Senshi. You should all be proud. I know I am."

Ami smiled, first at Minako, then at the others. "Thanks, Mina-chan. Well...good night!" She headed off down the street. After giving Rei and Makoto another hug, Minako left as well, taking a different street that headed to her home.

Makoto and Rei looked at each other for a long moment, then broke out laughing. "How long do you think it will take those two to run into each other?" Makoto asked, wiping her eyes.

"Maybe about two minutes." Rei said, chuckling. She smiled. "I hope they're doing alright...they really are sweet together."

"Yeah, they are." Makoto nodded. She smiled over at Rei. "I saw what you were going to do, by the way. You were going to try to pull Michiru away. That was really brave of you."

Rei blushed, then laughed. "Well...yeah." She stuck her tongue out at the brunette. "Jeez, when did you get so observant?"

Makoto shrugged. "Who knows?" She smiled. "Well, it's just me, but is the invitation still open? You have that new OVA I've been wanting to see...and I'll whip us up a little snack."

"Of course!" Rei grinned. "I watched it with Usagi already...but it'll be nice to hear it without the shrieking." Laughing, the two girls turned their feet towards the Hikawa Shrine.

-------------------

Minako had passed several streets before she realized her ribs were not hurting as she would have expected. They were aching a bit, sure...but really, they hurt less now than they did that morning. She turned a corner, trying to puzzle that out, and almost ran directly into Ami, who had been turning that same corner. Ami took several steps back to avoid colliding with Minako, smiling as she. "Oh! Mina-chan! I was just looking for you...are you okay?"

Minako grinned. "Oh sure...I was just looking for you, too." She rocked back on her heels, her hands behind her back. "So...what's up?"

"Well...I guess I was just worried...I realized you were walking back, and your ribs..."

"Yeah...but they don't really hurt that badly anymore." She shrugged. "Go figure."

Ami blinked. "That's...hm..." She thought for a moment, cupping her hand over her mouth. "I think I may understand. Our power is what makes us heal quickly. When we perform the Planet Attack, we channel our power directly through our bodies."

"So doing that made my ribs heal faster?" Minako chuckled. "Well, I guess I'm glad, but it seems like a pretty complicated way to get better."

Ami chuckled as well. She looked like there was something else she wanted to say, and Minako gave her time to speak. "That wasn't the only thing I was worried about, Mina-chan." She finally said.

Minako tilted her head quizzically. "Ami-chan?"

Ami looked down at the sidewalk. Around them, the lights of Tokyo were turning on in response to the falling evening. A breeze picked up around them, cold and smelling of winter. "I wanted to know if you wanted to stay with me tonight." She said in a small voice. "I was worried...because I didn't want you to be all alone tonight. So...if you wanted to, I'm sure Mother wouldn't mind."

Minako took an involuntary step backwards. The adrenaline of the battle before had worn off, and her fear was winning out again. She wanted to...she truly did. Compared to the thought of spending a night with her best friend...her love...the thought of another night in her lonely, cold house was singularly unappealing.

She cursed herself. -Why? Why can't I do this? I want to!- But she knew she couldn't. Her feelings were too intense, and they still terrified her. Going with Ami tonight would cross a line that Minako was just unable to cross. Ami was still looking at her, an expectant smile on her face. "Ami-chan..." She started, her voice cracking slightly. She swallowed and tried again. "Ami-chan...I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh." Ami just looked shocked. That was obviously not the answer she had been expecting. "That's okay Mina-chan." Her hurt expression cut Minako right to the heart, and Ami quickly turned away. "I understand...I'll see you around..."

Minako turned around herself and actually took several steps towards home. Then she stopped. "Minako." She took a deep breath. "Decide...is this how you want things to be? Because if you want things to be different...it has to be now."

She turned back. Ami was walking away, her head lowered dejectedly. Minako bit her lip tightly and jogged back. "Ami-chan!" Ami looked back, suspiciously wiping her eyes as she turned.

Minako laid her hands on Ami's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Ami-chan...I..." She found herself blushing deeply as she spoke. "You..." She took another deep breath and smiled. "Do you want to...go out with me sometime?"

Ami just stared at her for a long moment. Then she began to blush as well. She offered a tiny smile. "Mina-chan...you mean like a date?"

Swallowing deeply, Minako just nodded. For an instant, she experienced a wholly new kind of fear. -What if she says no?-

Only for an instant, though. Ami's smile widened, and she nodded back. "I'd love to, Mina-chan."

"Great!" Minako's voice cracked again, and she made a sour face. Ami just laughed softly and leaned her head against Minako's arm. Minako and Ami both stood like that for what seemed like both a very long moment, and one that was over all too quickly.

Finally Ami giggled a little bit. "So..."

Minako blinked, not understanding. "So...?"

Ami smiled. "So, when did you want to...?"

"Oh...oh!" Minako blushed, a silly grin on her face. "Um...I guess...Saturday?"

"Great!" Ami beamed. "I'll be at your house at six, alright?" She very gently disentangled herself from Minako's arms, letting her hands linger on the blonde girl's as she did so. "See you tomorrow, Mina-chan." She said softly, smiling.

"Tomorrow..." Minako smiled back, a little dazed. Ami walked off down the street, turning back when she was about twenty feet away to wave. Minako waved back absently, wearing the same fuzzy smile.

Finally, Minako headed home herself. The rest of the night was a blur to her. She remembered little of the walk home, save that it never felt like her feet actually touched the ground. When she got there, Artemis was waiting, full of questions about the day's massive battle. Minako answered them with some part of her brain she wasn't really familiar with. Artemis finally got fed up with her rather haphazard answers and let her get ready for bed.

Minako fell asleep with relatively little trouble, given the fact that her entire body felt like it was buzzing with electricity, especially where she had made contact with Ami. The one certainty she had was that, despite her continued reservations, despite how scared she still was (and oh, she was scared,) despite all of that...she was happy.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: You know, with how popular the 'slow built' approach has been so far, I'm actually rather nervous taking a step this big. However, I really think it's time...not that it's going to be smooth sailing for the two of them from here on in, far from it. But there's only so long they can dance around each other before I'd just be dragging events out for the sake of dragging them out. And besides, given the differences in their personalities, I've just been itching to have the pair of them hit the town!

Sailormoon and all other characters in this story belong to their respective owners. Figure it out.


	15. Chapter 15

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 15

A frigid wind sprang up out of nowhere, and Minako hugged herself tightly as she looked around, bewildered. Her surroundings seemed familiar, but nothing made sense. It was as if nothing she saw really made an impression in her mind. Abruptly, she noticed that her legs were freezing. Looking down, she realized her had transformed into her Senshi fuku. When had she done that? And why was it so cold?

A small sound made her turn. Behind her, Usagi was slumped to the ground, and there was someone else holding her up. Was it Ami? Hotaru? Minako couldn't really tell. Both of them looked beaten and worn, as if they'd been in a fierce battle, and both were looking at Minako, wide-eyed with fear. No, not at her...behind her!

Minako spun back. A...darkness...had appeared behind her. A darkness that loomed as tall as a mountain and was so terrible, so complete that Minako knew that no light could ever really dispel it. It began to reach down towards her, and she took a step backwards.

But she instantly stepped forward once again. A wave of anger swept through Minako, and she clenched her fists tightly. For some reason, this darkness enraged her like nothing she had ever known. Trembling with rage, she brought her hand up. "CRESCENT BEAM!" The golden ray shot into the center of the darkness, but before it hit the wind sprang up again, freezing and blinding. Minako hid her face as it howled around her ears.

"Minako!"

With a gasp, Minako shot out of bed. Her legs had become tangled in the sheets and she immediately stumbled forward, falling off the bed and hitting the ground face-first. She yanked herself to her knees, clutching her nose. "Artemis!" She exclaimed, glaring at the cat with tears in her eyes.

The white cat was perched on the edge of the bed, trying unsuccessfully to hide a grin. "Sorry Minako...you were flailing around so much I had to wake you up before you kicked me off the bed."

"Yeah, well...wake me more gently next time." She muttered, gently prodding her nose.

"I hope that doesn't swell up before tonight." Artemis remarked.

"Why? What's happening tonight?" Minako asked absently.

Artemis just stared at her. "It's Saturday." Like a shot, Minako sprang up and fled to the bathroom, wailing.

"If my nose is all swollen, I'll never forgive you Artemis!" She shouted, staring at herself in the mirror. After a few minutes, she took a deep breath. "I guess it's okay..." She paused for a moment and straightened her hair, unable to keep herself from preening a bit.

Was it really Saturday? It seemed almost too much to hope for that the day had finally arrived. If Minako had had more time to think, she would have scheduled her date with Ami earlier in the week. Honestly, the suspense was killing the two of them.

Over the last week, Ami and Minako had shared maybe twelve words, and those had been halting and punctuated with a large number of blushes and funny looks. Rei and Makoto couldn't stop grinning, and even Usagi was beginning to realize that something odd was going on between the Senshi of Love and Ice.

There was an unexpected side effect, however. Minako had left behind her trapped sense of panic several days ago. As time went on, her eagerness to have the date had grown with the long wait, until all that was left of her fear was a cold knot in the pit of her stomach that she could ignore unless she concentrated on it.

"Is everything okay?" Artemis inquired, peeking around the doorway. Minako turned with a smile.

"Everything's in the right place and looking normal."

"Oh good." Minako paused at the tone in the cat's voice.

"You sound relieved." She said playfully. "Glad you don't have to sleep in the same room with a big, ugly, swollen nose?"

"Don't be silly. I've never minded before...agh!" He shook off the sopping washcloth that Minako had thrown at his face. "ANYway..." He began, starting to clean the water from his face. "I just want to see this date go well."

Minako blinked. "You do?"

Artemis began working very hard to dry himself, as if he were embarrassed. "You've had enough bad luck for any three people." He said softly. "You've got a real chance to be happy with Ami...and I'd really like to see that."

"Oh." Minako turned back to the mirror to hide her blush. Minako and Artemis rarely showed their deep affection for each other, and there was a long silence as both of them let the rare moment pass. Finally Minako grabbed her toothbrush. "Thanks, cat."

"Sure." Artemis padded out of the bathroom, leaving Minako to get ready for the morning. As she brushed her teeth, her mind turned to the dream Artemis had woken her from. It seemed odd...different than her usual dreams. Almost prophetic...but that was Rei's area, not hers. Maybe I should ask Rei about it? She thought to herself.

However, as she brushed her teeth and her hair, her mind turned ever more to the blue haired girl she would be seeing that very night. And as she went downstairs to breakfast, lost in a very pleasant daydream, the memory of the dream had left her entirely.

-------------------

Dr. Mizuno smiled as her daughter entered the kitchen. "Good morning!" She gushed cheerily, grinning as the rather bleary Ami shot her a lethal look. Ami and her mother had a little more time to spend together on Saturday mornings than during the week, and Ami took full advantage of it, coming down before she was fully alert and awake. Her mother generally greeted her with a little good-natured teasing.

"Here Ami." Dr. Mizuno set a cup of tea in front of her offspring, and Ami began to sip it, coming slowly to life. Her mother set breakfast in front of the two of them, and the two began the meal in silence. Once Ami had become fully conscious, her mother spoke again. "I'll have to be at the hospital fairly late tonight, so I won't be around for dinner."

"Oh..." Ami smiled a little bit, and her mother thought she detected a tiny blush on her face. "That's okay...I was going to tell you I wouldn't be here for dinner either."

"Really?" Dr. Mizuno smiled softly and tilted her head. "Plans?" For reasons she was barely willing to admit to herself, Ami's mother liked to know as much as she could about her daughter's activities...but she knew that sometimes she couldn't know anything, and that was for the best, as much as it worried her.

"Yes...yes, actually." Ami took a deep breath, carefully avoiding her mother's eyes. "I, um...I have a date tonight."

The teacup Dr. Mizuno had been lifting to her lips paused in midair, then came to rest down on the saucer once again. "A date?" She asked, pitching her voice carefully. She didn't want to sound as surprised as she felt, as that would embarrass her daughter, but she also wanted to let her know how happy she was. "I didn't even know there was anyone you were interested in, Miss Mizuno!" She said with a smile.

"In a way, I guess I didn't either." Ami said, smiling but still not meeting her mom's gaze. "But I really like...this person."

"I'm glad to hear it Ami." Dr. Mizuno said gently. With a sly smile, she asked, "Is it anyone I know?"

"Well...yes, I guess you could say that..."

"Oh?" Dr. Mizuno thought for a moment. Ami had very few male acquaintances, let alone friends. There was that boy...what was his name? Urawa? But she didn't think he was living anywhere nearby anymore. And Ami, frankly, had never seemed very interested to begin with. She felt a small twitch when she considered Ami's friend Mamoru. Far too old...but no, he was with Usagi, and Ami would never do something like that. "May I ask who?" She finally asked, when she couldn't think of anyone likely.

"Mom...I think I'd like it better if you didn't." She risked a glance up, then looked down sharply once again at the surprised look on her mother's face. "I'll tell you, if you insist." She continued in a small voice. "And if things turn out well, I will tell you sometime...but just not now." She ended in a softly pleading tone.

The mind of Dr. Mizuno was now in overdrive. What could her daughter be talking about? Why wouldn't she want to tell her? What had Ami been doing lately? Nothing that would suggest a budding romance. Well, not unless...oh. Oh! Ami's mother quickly took another sip of her tea to hide her face, to conceal a shocked expression. It made sense...it did make sense. And she had wondered, at times...

Ami was still waiting expectantly for a response from her mother, so finally Dr. Mizuno smiled. "Ami, that's fine. You can tell me when you're ready." Ami finally looked up, and smiled in a relieved way at her mother's expression. They returned attention to their breakfast then, keeping the conversation light and trivial.

Ami finally got up and cleaned her plate. As she turned towards her bedroom to get dressed, her mother spoke gently.

"As I said, Ami...you can tell me when you're ready. And it's fine, whoever it is, it's fine. I promise. I love you Ami."

Ami turned to her mother and smiled. "I love you too Mom."

-------------------

At that moment, deep beneath Tokyo, the daeva Gylax made her way into Lady Meson's control chamber. She had assumed a fully humanoid shape, and was not trying to mask her entrance. Both of these were against her natural inclinations when entering an uncertain situation, but Meson was an assassin of incomparable skill and had been known to slay any daeva who displayed even the slightest hint of trying to sneak up on her.

The liquid daeva entered the cavern, her hollow eyes scanning the ghostly-lit floor. She could see nothing but the black fangs of stone jutting upward. Abruptly, she sensed she was not alone. A small sphere of violet light sailed from the shadows, and Gylax reached up to catch it. "Tag! You're it!" A piping voice said from the sphere's source.

"Lady Tachyon." Gylax bowed her fluid body deeply at the waist. The child-like Tachyon stepped into the daeva's field of vision, giggling, her long, glittering knife drawn.

"Gylax..." The tiny seer spoke teasingly. "I saw what you did to Gluon...I saw it last week, too, but it was so much better when it was actually happening." She giggled again. "I told him he'd die, but he still looked surprised. Why do you think that is?"

"Who can say, Lady Tachyon?" Gylax replied, trying to keep her voice even. Tachyon's grin became even broader, and Gylax felt a shudder ripple through her quicksilver form.

"I like you Gylax...maybe you should come work for me...wouldn't you like that?"

"Of...of course, Lady Tachyon. But...I'm afraid Muon has already taken me as a servant."

Tachyon pouted. "That's too bad." Her tiny pink tongue licked the edge of her knife, and then her lips. "Maybe I can make it so he doesn't want you anymore..." She started walking forward, sweeping her blade through the air.

"Enough, Tachyon." Meson's voice rang out through the chamber, and Tachyon stopped, much to Gylax's relief. "You know a blade couldn't harm a creature like Gylax anyway." Tachyon just giggled.

"Oh, but this is a special knife." Gylax stood absolutely still.

"Nevertheless, you're not supposed to interfere with Muon. Lord Hadron has seen fit to allow Gylax to serve him, so you're to leave her alone."

"Oh, fine..." Tachyon pouted, but put away her knife and the violet orb vanished from Gylax's hands.

"Now, Gylax..." Meson's voice faded into echoes, and there was a moment of silence. Gylax found herself surrounded by a blazing red aura, rendering the cavern she was in all but invisible to her. A voice rang out, haughty and cold. Gylax almost lost control of her form when she realized who was speaking to her.

"You have been sent to make a report. Do so." Hadron's voice spoke in her ear. Unable to control her shaking, she managed to deliver her report on Gluon's attack on the Sailor Senshi, his treachery and subsequent death. Once she finished, Hadron spoke again.

"I knew Gluon would turn upon him...and so, it seems, did Muon. What of the Death's Tears?"

"My Lord Hadron...Muon has instructed me to relate that the Tears were themselves a test run...a prototype. True application of the principals behind them will take more time to develop." Gylax cringed inwardly. Muon had sent her to make this report, claiming he was too busy. But privately she suspected that she had been sent to bear the brunt of whatever anger this news would create.

"I see...very well." To Gylax's surprise, Hadron did not even sound irritated. "You have performed well under Muon's control, Gylax...should he tire of your services before it is too late, I may have a place for you in my personal guard."

"I am honored, my Lord." Gylax said, kneeling and trying to sound sincere. Truly, she wanted nothing more than to remain as Muon's servant...for the first time in her service to Hadron, she didn't feel her life was constantly in danger. But what did Hadron mean by 'before it was too late?'

Before she could even decide that asking about that would be a terrible idea, Hadron's presence left her and the red aura faded away, leaving her standing alone in the cavern once more. Tachyon could no longer be seen. Lady Meson spoke up from the shadows again, choosing to remain hidden.

"You will give this message to Muon. Tell him his personal studies may continue unhindered. Furthermore, inform him that due to her very favorable findings, Tachyon has been given full control of the operation to subjugate the Earth. Any new developments or aid he can offer should therefore be offered to her. Now go."

Gylax fell into a puddle with a great sense of relief and slithered from the room as quickly as possible. She was now doubly glad that she had the relative protection of Muon. Even Gluon at his worst had been understandable and, to an extent, predictable. Tachyon was completely mad...just as likely to torture and kill those daeva working for her as her enemies. And with her powers of time, death could be a long, long time coming.

The fluid daeva shuddered a final time, making it appear as if rain was falling across her gleaming surface in her pooled state. She wondered what horrors the child had in store for the persistent Sailor Senshi. She also wondered whether she'd be better off not knowing.

-------------------

It was shortly before six, and Ami was walking up Minako's street. She was either extremely nervous, or experiencing the early warning signs of a stroke. In addition to a sick, shaky feeling in the pit of her stomach, her hands were trembling and clammy, forcing her to slip her hands into her pants to dry them at intervals. And she kept having to fight back a fit of the giggles.

Her mother had managed to secure a short break just as Ami was leaving the apartment. Dr. Mizuno had put a few finishing touches on her daughters appearance and given her a knowing smile that made Ami very nervous indeed. What did her mother know, or think she knew? Did she guess at her daughter's...extracurricular activities? Or did she suspect the identity of Ami's date? If either were true, which would be worse? Ami had no idea.

A white shape suddenly detached itself from the wall Ami was passing under and landed on her shoulders. Wound up and not ready for any kind of surprise, Ami shrieked and jumped back, spinning in place. The small white shape flew off her back and landed lightly on the sidewalk in front of her.

"Little nervous, Ami?" Artemis asked, shaking himself lightly.

Ami gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth, blushing. "Sorry Artemis...I guess I am a little bit nervous."

"Don't worry about it. I land on my feet, right?" He sat down and began cleaning his face with a paw.

After a moment, Ami coughed gently. "Um...Artemis...was there something you wanted to talk about?"

Artemis chuckled a little bit. "Not really...I was sent to keep you busy for a couple of minutes and it's too much work trying to fake a conversation." A car that Ami vaguely recognized as belonging to Minako's mother drove past and turned the corner. "Okay, we can go." He started off down the street, and Ami followed after a moment.

"So...Minako didn't want me to run into her mom?" She asked after a moment.

"Well, you can't really blame her. Would you want her running into your mom tonight?"

"I guess not." Ami agreed with a chuckle. "But after the other night...I'm realizing there's a lot I don't know about Minako. Especially where her family's involved."

Artemis jumped up onto the wall along the street, drawing level with Ami's head. "That's true." He acknowledged. "She doesn't like to burden those around her with her problems. It does help make her a good leader, but it's hard for her to keep all of that in."

"I understand." Ami smiled a little sadly. "I don't really have a problem with my parents' relationships with me. I do miss my father, but I understand why he needs to be away so much. But still...thinking about the divorce still hurts, a lot. And it's not the sort of thing I like talking about either."

They turned into Minako's yard, and Artemis hopped off the wall. "Well, I'm gonna spend the night with Luna and Diana." He announced. "Good luck Ami...I'm really pulling for you two."

"Thanks Artemis." Ami said with a nervous smile, turning from the retreating cat to the house which now seemed to loom threateningly at her. Ami took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Here we go Ami..." She stepped up to the front door and rang the bell. Her finger had barely left the button before the door opened.

There, of course, was Minako. "Hi Ami-chan." She said with a timid little smile. Ami returned the greeting a little absently. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of her date standing in the doorway. Minako looked incredible. She was wearing a sheer blue dress that came very close to being an evening gown. It left her right shoulder bare, and slid down into a skirt that fell to just below her knees, with a slit that went up to her thigh. Her hair fell over her bare shoulder in a smooth cascade of shining gold.

"Mina-chan...you're beautiful!" Minako beamed, her cheeks turning pink at the compliment. Ami bit her lip and looked down at herself, cursing her stupidity. She had dressed much more casually, just a pair of storm grey slacks and a white dress shirt with a dark blue vest, with a light jacket against the cold. The thought of spending the evening with the beauty in front of her made her feel, quite bluntly, like a scrub.

Minako tilted her head, frowning a bit. "Ami-chan? Are you okay?"

Ami opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't say anything. She wanted to say she going to run home and change, wanted to say she was sorry for ruining the date already. Before she could force a single awkward word out, however, Minako was hugging her tightly.

"You're a silly girl." She whispered kindly, understandingly. She held Ami out at arm's length, smiling at the blue-haired girl's wide eyed, blushing expression. "First, you look adorable. Second, I always overdress for first dates. I hadn't realized that the reaction would be different when dating another girl. Finally..." She leaned in and rested her forehead against Ami's. "...I just want to be with you. What you're wearing doesn't matter."

Ami slid in closer to Minako, smiling. As she pressed her face into Minako's shoulder, she became aware of the blonde Senshi's fragrance, lightly floral and utterly intoxicating. Her hands tightened around Minako's waist, and she felt Minako's warm arms enfolding her.

Finally Minako spoke in a soft voice. "Ami-chan...if we don't let go of each other, we might never leave the house."

Rather regretting the move, Ami let Minako go with a sigh. "I guess you're right..."

Minako began to pull on a coat. "So Ami-chan...if you didn't have any place picked out, I know a great club we can go to..." At that moment, Ami's stomach rumbled loudly, prompting a blush and a shy smile. "...but of course we can get something to eat first." Minako finished, pulling on the sleeve to her coat.

"Thanks Mina-chan." Ami paused for a moment in the middle of turning towards the door. "Mina-chan...it doesn't really fit your outfit, but wouldn't it be funny to go back to that place where we pretended to be a couple?"

Minako laughed and slid her arms around Ami's shoulders. Ami immediately leaned into the contact. "That's a great idea Ami-chan! And it's right on the way, too." She slid her hand into the crook of Ami's arm, and the two set off down the street.

As they walked, Ami felt her eyes slide again and again to the girl who held her arm and leaned against her gently. At first, Ami had felt a flash of nervousness at walking down the street like this, where anyone could see them, but that was wiped away in an instant. Tonight was for herself and Minako, and even if their parents and everyone they knew were lining the streets looking at them, Ami wouldn't care. This felt so good, so right, that nothing else mattered.

The little American cafe was just a few streets away from Minako's house, so they reached it in what seemed like no time at all. A different hostess than before greeted them and said they could be seated right away. She did a little double take when Minako asked for a booth in the back and she noticed how close the two seemed to be. But then she just smiled warmly. "Right this way!"

When they were seated, she handed them their menus. "Your server will be with you shortly." She smiled warmly and left them smiling at one another from across the table.

After a moment, Minako giggled gently, prompting a questioning look from Ami. "You know...you could join me over here." The Senshi of Love said coyly. "I'm kinda cold." She mock-pouted.

Ami blushed. "R-right..." She looked around furtively and quickly slipped out of her seat and into the padded bench next to Minako. Minako immediately slipped her hand into Ami's and held it gently on the seat between them.

"You're so nervous." Minako said teasingly. "It's really cute." She was leaning her chin on her other hand, propped on her elbow on the table. She was smiling, but Ami could see a lot of nervousness in her eyes. With a small shock, Ami remembered that Minako, despite her greater dating experience, was probably just as scared about this as Ami was herself. In a way, perhaps even more so.

Ami lightly disentangled her hand from Minako's and caressed the other girl's cheek with the back of her fingers. "I'm sorry Mina-chan." She said with a self-depracating chuckle. "I'm pretty new at this whole dating thing. And I feel like I've been thrown into the deep end."

"How do you mean?" Minako asked curiously, pushing her cheek lightly against Ami's fingers.

"I'm on a date with the most beautiful girl in the world." Ami said with quiet certainty. Minako blushed and inched closer to Ami, until they were touching. She leaned against the blue-haired girl, resting her head on her arm. Ami slid her arm around Minako's shoulders and leaned her head against hers.

"You're really sweet." Minako murmured.

"Just telling the truth." Ami responded, turning her head slightly and breathing deeply the sweet smell of Minako's hair.

Minako giggled. "I didn't say it wasn't true...just that you're sweet for saying it." Ami laughed softly in return. The polite sound of a clearing throat made them both blink and look up. The same waiter who had served them on their last visit there was standing in front of their booth, notepad ready.

"I can come back if you're busy." He said with a grin.

Minako looked up at Ami, who was looking down at her. "Um...no, I think we're ready?" Ami shrugged and nodded. Minako reached out and grabbed the nearest menu, quickly scanning over it and picking the first item that looked halfway appetizing, just a cheeseburger and fries. She held it out and Ami immediately ordered the same thing.

"Great." The server said, taking the menus. "Separate drinks, or did you want one glass and two straws again?"

Ami blushed. "No, I think two drinks will be fine."

As the waiter left, Minako pouted a bit. "Awww, I sort of liked the two straw thing."

"I would feel silly doing it for real." Ami said, tracing her finger over the soft skin of Minako's shoulder. "Besides, Mina-chan..." She said, giving the blonde girl a sidelong glance, "I don't think we need to play at indirect kisses anymore, do you?"

"Ami-chan!" Minako grinned, then shifted around till her face had drawn level with Ami's. "Well, maybe you're right." She slowly leaned her face in towards Ami, who immediately closed her eyes and leaned forward as well, displaying an eagerness that surprised them both. In a sudden fit of impishness, Minako waited until the last moment, then laid two fingers gently on Ami's lips. "But later."

Ami opened her mouth to protest, but sucked in her breath sharply, her cheeks flushed. Minako was whispering, her warm breath and lips brushing against Ami's ear, leaving the girl utterly unable to move or speak. "When we kiss for the very first time, I want to make sure you never forget it." Ami shivered slightly despite suddenly feeling very warm indeed. The warmth around her ear left suddenly, and Ami swallowed, glancing over at Minako, who was innocently tracing a design on the tabletop with her finger and smiling to herself.

"Tease." Ami said, making a face at her...girlfriend. She rolled the word around in her mind, examining how it felt when applied by her to Minako. She smiled broadly, and Minako gave her a funny look.

"Are you okay Ami-chan? You look a little out of it."

Ami just kept smiling. "You're my girlfriend." She finally said happily.

Minako blushed furiously, unable to keep herself from smiling either. "That's not fair!" She complained. Then she started laughing. "You're my girlfriend too." She said in a silly tone of voice. Ami joined in the laughter as well, and in a moment they were in each other's arms, shaking with laughter that they tried to keep restrained for the sake of the other diners.

After several minutes, Minako released Ami, both of them quite breathless at this point. Minako cupped her girlfriend's cheeks in her palms and looked into her eyes. "You've made me so happy Ami-chan." She said softly. Her hand slid up and she gently ran her fingers through the other girl's blue hair. "Thank you so much."

Ami reached up and took Minako's hand in her own, gently kissing the knuckles one by one. "Thank you Mina-chan...you make me happy too." She sniffed suddenly, and looked down at the table. She began to blush. Their food and drinks were sitting on the table in front of them. "I guess we were a little distracted." She chuckled.

Minako laughed as well. "I guess we were." She picked up a fry and gave Ami a sly look. Ami smiled back at her uncertainly.

"Oh Mina-chan...no...I hate that, it's so..." Minako just held the fry in front of Ami's mouth, and with a resigned sigh Ami opened her mouth and lightly plucked the food from Minako's hand. Minako blushed.

"Oh...Ami-chan..." She didn't say anything else for a long moment.

Finally Ami's curiosity overcame her sense of decorum and she held a fry to Minako's mouth as well. As Minako took it between her lips and gently pulled it from her fingers, a warm flush spread throughout Ami's body, and she shivered again. "Oh..." Ami said faintly. "So that's why everyone does that..." Minako just giggled and grabbed another fry.

When they had fully decimated their supply, Ami licked her lips and chuckled. "I would have thought that was absolutely sickening if I hadn't been the one doing it."

"Yeah...it's amazing how much better the cutesy stuff is when you're the one being cutesy." Minako agreed, once again laying her head against Ami's arm. She looked down at the two burgers on the table. "I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Me either." Ami said. "Shall we go then?"

"Oh, lets." Ami paid for the food, but Minako left a very generous tip for their waiter. "After all, he didn't disturb us at all, and that deserves a reward!"

They left the cafe and headed down the street once again. "Just so you know, Ami-chan, I've never been to this place before, but it got a really good recommendation."

"Um...okay..." Ami snuggled a bit closer to Minako as they walked. "You know I'm not really used to clubs or anything, right?"

Minako smiled and gently kissed Ami on the forehead. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I promise." Ami blushed and nodded.

The club Minako had her sights on was a fairly short walk from the cafe, on the way to the Outer Senshi's place. There was a tall woman standing next to the door, and Minako stopped Ami. "Just one second." Ami nodded and Minako walked over and said something to the woman, who smiled broadly, nodded and opened the door. Minako beckoned to Ami, who quickly followed, wondering exactly what was going on.

Hand in hand they entered the place. There was dance music with a pounding beat, though there was a bar close to the entrance, and by a trick of acoustics that impressed Ami it was quiet enough to be heard without shouting there.

It was to the bar that Minako led Ami, and as they made their way through the crowd something began to register with Ami. The crowd seemed to be fairly young, all college age kids with a scattering of high schoolers like the two of them, but all female. And when they passed a couple of girls passionately making out on the edge of the dance floor, Ami blushed and paused. "Mina-chan..." She called out, and Minako stopped and looked back, a grin on her face. "Who recommended this place to you?"

"Haruka and Michiru." She said innocently, still grinning. Her eyes flickered over to the couple Ami had seen. "Why do you ask, Ami-chan?"

"Oh, no reason..." Minako walked over and gave the blue-haired girl a warm hug, murmuring in her ear.

"I thought a place like this would be better for a first date...less chance of some jerk giving us a hard time, you know?"

Ami smiled back and nodded, returning the hug. "I see...that's a good idea, Mina-chan."

Minako winked. "I have a few of those."

She continued to lead Ami through the crowd to the bar, where a dark-haired woman was shuffling drinks across the bartop. "What can I get you two?" She asked as they approached. "No beer, obviously"

"Obviously." Minako laughed. "Actually, I was just told to say hi when we got here...you're Kin, right?"

"Right..." Kin said, slowly. Then she broke into a smile. "Ahhh, you two must be Haruka's friends. She mentioned you might be here. Yeah, I'm Kin."

"I'm Minako, and this is Ami. Nice to meet you."

Ami nodded, smiling shyly. "Nice to meet you." Kin grinned at Ami, then back at Minako.

"You two are really cute together." She said. "First date, right?" Minako nodded. "Great! Well, I'll leave you two alone then." She winked. "Enjoy the place, I think you'll like it."

Minako hugged Ami tightly around the waist and pressed her cheek against Ami's. "So...wanna dance?" Minako giggled.

"Alright." Ami said with a nervous smile, slipping her hand into Minako's. In truth, Ami didn't dance to fast songs all that much...slow dances, waltzes, that sort of thing she could do, but she hoped that Minako would go easy on her here...

They stepped out onto the dance floor. The music was pounding, the lights were flashing and there were women dancing everywhere. Ami felt terribly out of her element, but Minako was obviously so completely comfortable here that some of her confidence actually managed to rub off on her girlfriend.

Minako turned to face Ami. Some of Ami's deer-in-the-headlights sensation must have been showing, because the blonde girl gave her a very sweet, understanding smile. She began to move to the movement, keeping her actions very simple. Warmth spread through Ami as she realized Minako was helping her, and she nodded, mimicking Minako. It felt very awkward at first, but as she continued to move, it got easier, and she could just follow the beat rather than mirror Minako.

When Ami had the first move down, Minako threw in a new move. For the several minutes the first song lasted, this continued. Minako showing Ami a new dance move every time she mastered the last. When it finished and there was a slight pause, Minako slipped up against Ami and murmured in her ear. "You're doing great Ami-chan!" Ami beamed, feeling rather proud of herself.

When the next song started, Ami was loose enough that she didn't even have to check to see what Minako was doing. She just started moving along with the music. The two girls kept looking into each other's eyes as they danced. To Ami, it was like the rest of the club and everyone in it slid away into a gray haze. Barely even realizing it, the two senshi moved closer to one another, until they were almost touching.

For five more songs they stayed out on the dance floor. Finally, Ami signaled for a break, and Minako nodded. They joined hands and slipped away, finding a small, empty table near the bar to sit at. They sat across from each other and Minako reached out and took Ami's wrists in her hands. "See? That wasn't so bad." She winked.

"Not at all!" Ami said, smiling and flushed pink. "I...I don't think I've ever had that much fun dancing." She looked down and to the side, smiling softly. "Thank you Mina-chan."

Minako squeezed Ami's hands gently, beaming. "I don't think I have either...it must be because I have such a great partner."

Ami blushed. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not." Minako said earnestly, leaning over the table. "Ami-chan...I've never, ever danced with anyone I cared about as much as I care about you. Just being around you makes me feel special...actually going out with you like this feels like a dream come true."

Ami was blushing furiously at this point, but she was smiling too. "Mina-chan..." She looked like there was more she wanted to say, but at that point the two girls got lost in each other's eyes, just gazing dreamily at one another as their fingers played together.

Ami looked at Minako with a cute little smile. "Would you mind if we took a little walk?"

Minako shook her head with a smile. "Not at all, but we haven't really been here that long."

Ami looked down a bit, preparing herself for a bit of boldness. "I know...but I think I'd like to cool down. Besides..." She looked up and gave Minako a look full of the strong emotions that had built up on the dance floor. "We haven't had much time alone together."

Minako grinned. "No...I guess we haven't." She stood, and Ami joined her. Hand in hand, they left the club, waving to Kin as they slipped out.

The street outside was shockingly cold compared to the intense, heated atmosphere of the club behind them, and they hugged each other close as they walked down the street. Ami led them now, with a place in mind, and Minako was obviously content to let her do so.

They soon arrived at the park, and walked in without hesitation. Of course, normally a park at night in a big city should be off limits for two attractive teenagers, but these two were uniquely suited to take care of themselves. The sky was dark and overcast, so the only light came from the streetlights placed along the walkways.

They headed to the lake, and Minako realized that Ami was taking them to the place Minako had shown her back when they had been studying together, what seemed like so long ago. Sure enough, that is where they ended up. Across the lake, the skyline of Tokyo rose over the park, the night lights glimmering like jewels in black velvet.

Ami took her jacket off and laid it on the soft grass for Minako, with a gallant feeling she wasn't used to, but liked quite a bit. Minako sat down, and Ami sat next to her. Minako shifted around and lay her head in Ami's lap, just as she had when she had been injured and Ami had visited.

"Isn't it funny?" Ami murmured.

"Isn't what funny?"

"How different things we've done before feel, now that we're...together?" Minako smiled up at her. In the silvery light of the distant city, her face seemed particularly beautiful.

"It's true...well...I guess the feeling is the same, it's just much stronger." Ami nodded. "I guess you're right, Mina-chan." She chuckled softly, tracing her fingertip along Minako's cheek and chin. Minako made a small, deep sound of pleasure and tilted her head back, exposing her neck. Ami began sliding her finger there as well. "I guess that means we've liked each other for longer than we realized."

"Yeah, we're pretty much hopeless, aren't we?" Minako said in a soft tone. She looked up at Ami again. "What do we do now? About us, I mean?"

Ami bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't know...I guess we have to tell the others soon...that would be much better than letting Rei and Makoto's imaginations run away with them."

Minako laughed softly. "I don't know...that might be funny...especially if they brought Usagi in on it."

Ami rolled her eyes. "Oh no...can you even imagine the three of them trying to spy on us?"

Minako giggled. "They're just so bad at that sort of thing. Well, I guess we all are, really."

"True enough." With a tender smile, Ami caressed Minako's cheek, prompting her to lean into the warm touch. "I really don't think we need to tell our parents about this yet...that can wait."

"Till about forever." Minako agreed, nodding. Ami laughed, but a little pinprick of doubt suddenly poked at her mind. When should she tell her mother? And should she call or write to her father, if it came to that point? How would they react? And what about Minako's parents? Would their seeming indifference extend to this as well, or would there be some kind of protective backlash? She could see that happening...it all sort of depended...

Quite abruptly, Ami found herself pushed back against the grass with Minako's warm form pressed on top of her and a bit to the side. "You're thinking too much again." Minako said, smiling. There was a light dancing in her eyes that seemed independent of the reflected light from the city.

Ami smiled, suddenly feeling excited to the point of trembling. "I guess it's a failing I have..." She whispered.

"Well," Minako almost purred, drawing her face in closer. "I'll have to help you with that."

"Yeah?" Ami breathed.

"Yeah." With that, Minako's lips closed on Ami's. It might have been sheer imagination, but Ami would swear that she saw a spark spring up at that first contact. She saw nothing else for a long time, as her eyes fluttered closed and her arms closed low around Minako's back. Ami felt as if she was floating in a warm haze as the kiss stretched on. Finally, Minako pulled back just a bit, and their heavy breathing fogged in the cold night air.

"I told you it would be unforgettable." She said in a teasing whisper. Ami looked at her with longing and rolled over, pushing Minako back against the ground this time and looping her arms beneath Minako's shoulders to cradle her head. Minako's golden hair spread beneath her like a blanket as Ami kissed her, kissed her deeply and passionately, with a fierceness that Ami hadn't guessed she could posses. Her body clove to Minako's as if she wanted to meld with the other girl.

As the kisses deepened in intensity, they reached the point at which they had to either stop or go further, and neither was willing to go further just yet. So they slowed down, finally exchanging soft, wet kisses and hugging each other tightly, laying on their side.

Ami smiled. "I love you." At those words, Minako froze, staring wide-eyed at Ami. Quickly, Ami placed two fingers to the blonde Senshi's lips. "Shhh...it's okay. You don't have to say anything. I think I understand why you can't say it...and it's okay, Mina-chan...I know you feel it."

Tears welled up in Minako's eyes, and Ami felt them in her own as well. They hugged tightly once again, their chins resting on eachother's shoulders. Ami felt Minako's tears sliding hotly on her neck, and Ami smiled. She hadn't made a conscious decision to tell Minako that, in fact if she had thought about it she might have decided it was a bad idea. But she did...she loved Minako. Ami had no idea when it had finally happened, but she was now completely in love with the golden-haired beauty she held in her arms. There was nobody else she wanted, nothing more she more desired than to be with this girl.

"Ami-chan...you're wonderful." Minako said softly, sniffling a bit. Ami pulled her head back and lightly kissed the tears from her love's face. Minako closed her eyes and smiled. "I do feel it too, Ami-chan...and I'll say it, I swear." She opened her eyes and looked at Ami entreatingly. "I just need more time."

Ami smiled gently. "As much as you need." Minako looked up.

"Ami-chan...look." Looking up, Ami saw that it was snowing, an early snow and the first one of the year. Both sat up, cuddling one another as they watched the white flakes drift down into the dark lake. The whole world seemed still and quiet.

As the snow began to stick around them, Ami sighed. "I guess we should go before it starts falling any harder."

Minako smiled. "I guess so...but I don't feel cold at all."

"I don't think I'll ever feel cold again, as long as I'm with you Mina-chan." Ami said. Minako hugged her a bit tighter.

"Ami..."

"Minako..."

It ended up taking a long while before they finally stood and left for home, leaving their footprints in the light snowfall. And as Ami finally lay in her bed, looking up at the ceiling, she could still feel the warmth of her love, as if she were still lying beside her. And she knew Minako felt the same.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: For once in my life, I wanted to see a first date go off without a hitch, even if I had to write it myself. I also thought it would be interesting, as well as helpful for the story in the future, to do the first date largely from Ami's point of view, rather than Minako's.

So, after a long pause and a lot of work, the first date. But there's much more to come as we enter Season 2, so stay tuned!

The characters of Sailormoon are not mine, but the bad guys are. Maybe someday I'll use them to conquer Sailormoon, but not yet. Until then, I'm making no money from them.


	16. Chapter 16

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 16

The snow that began falling the night of Minako and Ami's first date did not stop falling until late the next morning, resulting in a thick white blanket over the city of Tokyo. The day after that was Monday and when school let out Minako and Ami ended up at Ami's apartment to study. Given that Dr. Mizuno was at the hospital and would remain there until late evening, relatively little studying was actually taking place.

Ami way laying on her back in bed, and Minako was laying crosswise, her head resting on her love's stomach and her hand in Ami's. Ami sighed deeply. "We should really study...exams are in just a couple of weeks."

Minako had her eyes closed. She turned her head and burrowed a bit into Ami's belly, prompting a little tickled squeak from the blue-haired girl. "It's too cold to study." She said, her voice muffled in Ami's shirt. Ami giggled and placed her free hand between Minako's face and her person.

"Stop that, it tickles. And we decided it was too cold to study outside, not at all."

Minako looked up at Ami with an impish expression. "Well, could we decide that it's too cold too study at all?"

Ami smiled faintly. "Okay...but the next thing on the list is talking about telling the others about us."

With a groan, Minako turned to stare at the ceiling again. "Ami, have mercy! Couldn't we just make out for a while?"

Ami slowly turned pink. "Mina-chan!" She exclaimed, her tone exasperated. The corners of her mouth kept twitching upward, however. "We did that when we got home. Don't you ever get enough?"

"Of you?" Minako shifted quickly until she was lying on her side next to Ami. She poked the other girl's cheek. "Of course not, bite your tongue." With a wicked little smile she leaned in and brushed her lips against Ami's. "Or should I?" Ami's resistance abruptly crumbled, and there was no further talking for several minutes.

Finally Ami took hold of Minako's shoulders and pushed her gently away. She smiled at her and shook her head. "Mina-chan...we really have to do something, okay?"

Minako sighed deeply. "Okay Ami." Ami's smile got a bit wider and she leaned in to give Minako a quick peck on the lips.

"Thank you." They pulled themselves into a sitting position, smoothing out their hair and straightening their clothing. Ami leaned over the side of the bed to get her bookbag.

With another, smaller sigh, Minako did the same. She was beginning to get the feeling that Ami, in her new role as girlfriend, was going to make Minako a better student and a more efficient person in general...whether or not Minako wanted to change.

"I wonder what the others are up to, anyway?" Minako murmured as she cracked open her math book.

"The sooner we tell them about us, the sooner we'll be able to hang out more often." Ami pointed out. Minako sighed and Ami smiled. "I know, it's huge. But we really need to do it...this won't be a secret for long, and wouldn't you rather tell them than have them find out for themselves?"

"You're always so logical." Minako made a little face, then smiled a little. "But you're right. We'll tell them...soon."

"How soon?" Ami persisted.

"This week, okay?" Minako replied, fighting to keep a hint of irritation out of her voice. Telling the other senshi was important, but what was the rush? Couldn't they just let things be for now?

"Okay." Ami said, smiling brightly. She opened her math book and began looking through it, her eyes flickering over the pages and her brow furrowed in the cutely thoughtful expression that Minako had always been fond of. Minako smiled back, and it felt as if something that had tensed inside her suddenly relaxed. How could she ever have been irritated at this girl?

Minako reached out and lightly brushed her fingers against Ami's cheek. Ami blinked, then smiled and softly pressed her cheek into Minako's caress. "Mina-chan." She murmured, leaning forward and giving Minako a small, gentle kiss. Her lips moved closer to Minako's ear, and she began to whisper. "What's your math homework?" Ami sat back and began to laugh softly. Minako made a sour face and then began to laugh as well. The blonde senshi had never found homework as small an inconvenience as it seemed right now.

-------------------

Rei rang the bell to the Outer Senshi's front door and waited, trying not to fidget too much. Haruka and Michiru often liked to spend a little time with one or another of the Inner Senshi, just to keep things close, and this time the invitation had fallen to the Senshi of Fire.

After a moment, Michiru opened the door. "Rei-chan." She said warmly. "Please, come in."

"Thanks Michiru-chan." Rei stepped through the door, mentally cursing her luck. She hated being alone with Michiru. Well, she didn't HATE it, obviously...she just never had any idea how to act.

Michiru smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid it's just going to be the two of us today. Haruka said to say she was sorry, but Setsuna just had to get out of the house."

-Oh, perfect.- Rei groaned in her thoughts. But she forced a smile and a nod. "Is she alright?"

"She is, for the most part." Michiru led Rei into the small dining room next to the kitchen and saw her seated, then retreated into the kitchen. "She's...fraying." She said, raising her voice slightly to be heard through the open doorway. She returned in a moment, carrying a silver tray of small cakes and an elegant teapot. "You'd never know it to look at her, but she's getting more and more frustrated at her lack of knowledge about our enemy. It's never happened to her before, and she's feeling very lost right now."

"Oh..." Rei picked up a cake and nibbled the corner. She noticed Michiru smiling at her out of the corner of her eye and developed a sudden interest on a random point of the wall across the room.

"How do you feel, Rei-chan?" The question took the dark-haired miko by surprise. She choked a bit on the cake she was eating and took a big gulp of tea to wash it down. The tea, unfortunately, was extremely hot and scalded Rei's mouth badly. She jumped up, clutching her mouth and forcing Michiru to make a grab for the tray to keep it from falling over.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rei exclaimed, blushing furiously. It took a moment to realize that Michiru was laughing softly, hiding her mouth in her hand. Rei looked down, her blush becoming even fiercer as she wished the floor would open up and swallow her on the spot.

Michiru smiled and stood as well. "No, I'm sorry Rei-chan. I shouldn't have laughed...but the look on your face..." She chuckled again and Rei felt herself smile a little. Michiru pushed the sugar towards Rei. "Here, sprinkle a little of that on your tongue, it should make the burn feel better. I'll get you some nice cold milk." She left, gently brushing Rei's shoulder comfortingly as she did, and making Rei's whole arm feel as if it were tingling.

Sprinkling sugar on her tongue did seem to soothe the burn, and the milk that Michiru brought out helped as well. Michiru kept looking at her expectantly, forcing Rei to put down the cup. "Sorry, what was the question again?"

Michiru smiled a bit. "I was just wondering how you were feeling...about not being able to see anything about our enemies as well. I know it's hard on Setsuna, but it can't be easy for you, either."

-Way to go, spaz.- Rei mentally berated herself. "Oh, I see..." She considered the question for a moment, then shrugged. "It makes me nervous, but I think it's way worse for Setsuna. We talked once about the different ways we see the future. I just get vague visions and symbolic images in the fire, and it takes a lot of effort to get those. It's a lot more complete for Setsuna, and it must be a lot more disorienting for it to fail so completely."

"That's true, I suppose." Michiru said thoughtfully. "I admit, seeing how Setsuna has been affected by this has made me worried about you, as well. Particularly after you exhausted yourself a couple of weeks ago."

The warm flush that had spread through Rei at hearing that Michiru had worried about her was replaced with a hot flash of true embarrassment. "Oh...you heard about that."

Michiru nodded. "Of course...you know things don't stay secret in our little society." She smiled. "Besides, I could have seen it coming. When you are challenged, you throw yourself into it with no hesitation. It's a very courageous quality." Rei felt herself blushing again at this compliment, and wished she could stop before Michiru noticed. She could think of nothing to respond with, and there was a long pause that Rei felt was growing deeper and deeper by the second. Fortunately, the doorbell rang at that moment, making both of them glance towards the front door.

"I'll get it!" Hotaru called from upstairs, and soon she could be heard descending the stairwell quickly and opening the door. "Chibi-Usa!"

"Hi Hotaru-chan!"

The two girls entered the dining room, and Hotaru paused in the doorway, looking at bit surprised to see Michiru and Rei sitting there. Michiru closed her eyes and took a long sip of tea, not turning to look at her adoptive daughter. Rei suddenly felt like the temperature of the room had dropped dramatically. Chibi-Usa must have felt it as well, because the small pink-haired girl hovered nervously just outside the room.

Hotaru smiled very slightly. "Hi Rei-chan." She said, moving towards the kitchen. Rei smiled and nodded. Michiru didn't so much as twitch. Chibi-Usa and Rei shared the strained smile of someone who didn't quite get the situation, and Hotaru emerged again a moment later with two drinks and some snacks.

"We'll be in my room." She said shortly, and Michiru gave an almost imperceptible nod. The two young girls departed, and the icy aura slowly fled the room.

"Sorry." Michiru finally said apologetically, setting her cup down with a rather embarrassed smile.

"What was that all about?" Rei asked, softly.

"Oh...Hotaru and I aren't on speaking terms at the moment, I'm afraid." Michiru replied ruefully. "I was very unhappy with Usagi when she brought Hotaru to the last battle, after we had all decided to try to keep her out of danger. Hotaru leaped to her defense, and before we knew it we were screaming at each other. Hotaru thinks I'm being too protective and getting in the way of her duties as a Sailor Senshi. But she IS still young, and I don't see any reason to put her at risk while Muon seems to have his sights set on her."

Rei thought that Hotaru actually had a point, but she was wise enough to keep that to herself. "So..." She finally said, after wracking her brain for a topic. "What do you know about Minako and Ami?"

Michiru smiled mysteriously. "I know about many things." She said, taking a sip of tea. "But much of what I know, I was told in confidence." Rei's face, which had suddenly become hopeful with the promise of new gossip, fell again. "But," Michiru continued, "I can always help you speculate, even if I can't say anything definite." Rei's face slowly turned into a grin, and she leaned forward across the table, eager to wrangle whatever information she could from the Senshi of the Sea.

-------------------

"I don't know about this, Haruka." Setsuna said as she tied the belt around her gi.

"Come on, you wanted to get out of the house, right? And you needed to let off some steam. This will be perfect." Haruka replied, already standing on the mat, holding two staves. Setsuna bowed and joined her, taking one of the weapons. They bowed to each other and began some light sparring.

Haruka was a skilled and talented fighter, well trained and with excellent reflexes. Nevertheless, centuries of experience with her weapon had made Setsuna a staff fighter like no other. In less than half a minute Haruka found her staff whipped out of her hands, and the butt of Setsuna's resting against her throat. "Okay, maybe you need a little more of a challenge." Haruka said, swallowing. Setsuna gave her a small, genuine smile, and the short-haired senshi took that to be a good sign.

This had been Haruka's idea, of course. Setsuna had seemed utterly content to simply sit in the passenger's seat and look out at the snowbound city, but Haruka had determined that the Guardian of Time needed a serious shot of adrenaline to work off some of her stress, so she'd driven to her favorite dojo.

Haruka set the staves back on the rack where they had come from, and she and Setsuna squared off, barehanded this time. As this fight lasted beyond the first engagement, their differences in style became apparent. Haruka had an incredible amount of inborn talent, and fought with passionate precision. Setsuna, on the other hand, was not the natural fighter that Haruka was, but had the benefit of centuries of experience and a keenly analytical mind. As they traded blows, Haruka could see the mind at work behind Setsuna's eyes, analyzing Haruka's moves and responding with the bare minimum of movement required.

-Still have time to think, huh?- Haruka said to herself. -Well, we'll see about that!- She pressed forward suddenly, her arms and legs blurring as they sped through the air. Setsuna's eyes widened at the sudden assault, and she had to jump back to give herself time to recover. Her movements became more fluid, and Haruka nodded to herself in satisfaction as Setsuna loosened up.

They fought at top speed for several more minutes, until they finally separated, panting and sweating. Haruka leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees, and smiled up at Setsuna, who had done the same. "How do you feel?"

"Better." Setsuna replied with a smile. "I do feel better. Thank you Haruka, this was a good idea."

"Sure." Haruka straightened and ran her fingers through her hair. "I know this has gotta be hard for you Setsuna. I can't even imagine what it must be like. But I'm glad I can help you work out the stress."

"Again, thank you." Setsuna stood up. "It's a little like being blind. No...that's not quite right. I guess it's like what amnesia must feel like."

"Amnesia?"

Setsuna nodded. "My seeing through time, it's like remembering things, even things that haven't happened yet. But with these enemies, I feel like I'm seeing things I should remember, but have no memory of. It's quite disconcerting."

"I'll bet. Don't worry though." Haruka said with a confident smile. "We'll beat them."

"I have no doubts." Setsuna replied. A sound made them both pause. In the next room over, they heard the cry of a familiar voice. Curious, they both went to check it out.

Makoto was there, also in a gi, and going to town on a hanging bag. Her face was set in an angry look, and her feet and fists lashed out at the poor object unmercifully. A final, massive hook kick made the bag detach from the hanging chain and sail several feet across the room, leaving Makoto standing alone, fists clenched and shoulders heaving with exertion. Setsuna gave a polite cough, and Makoto spun around sharply.

"Haruka-kun? Setsuna-chan?" She said, relaxing a little. "Um...hi." She glanced around the room, her eyes falling on the much abused punching bag. "I was just...training."

"So I see." Setsuna replied with an enigmatic smile.

"You okay Mako-chan?" Haruka inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fine." The brunette almost snapped. She took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. "I'm fine." She repeated, mostly to herself. She looked over at the other women again. "So what brings you out here? Weren't you supposed to be with Rei today?"

"Oh, Setsuna needed to get out of the house, so I'm afraid I left Michiru to go it alone." Haruka said, clapping Setsuna lightly on the shoulder.

Makoto blinked. "What about Hotaru?" Haruka and Setsuna shared a look.

"That's another reason we were so eager to get out of the house." Haruka finally said. "They're having a bit of a fight at the moment, and it's a tense, quiet and cold place to be right now."

"They're too alike for their own good sometimes." Setsuna observed.

"Agreed." Haruka smiled, looking over at Makoto again. "So, you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah...I just needed to let off a little steam too, I guess." Makoto replied, rubbing the back of her head in an embarrassed gesture. "I guess I should fix it."

"Here, let me help you." Haruka started forward, but Makoto had already picked up the heavy, sand-filled bag. Once again, the Senshi of the Wind was surprised at Makoto's sheer physical strength. Haruka held the hook steady while Makoto hung it back into place. There was an impressive dent in the bag where Makoto's last kick had caught it. "Nice." Haruka observed. "We should have another match one of these days."

"Think you can still keep up?" Makoto replied with a brash grin.

"I guess we'll just have to see." Haruka replied with a smile. "At any rate, I think Setsuna and I were going to get something to eat before we braved returning home again, right?" She glanced at Setsuna, who nodded. "Want to come?"

Makoto closed her eyes and took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. As the breath left her, she seemed to lose a good deal of tension, enough that when she opened her eyes and smiled, it was genuine. "Sure."

Makoto and Haruka left the training room, headed for the lockers. Setsuna let them pass and then fell in behind them, looking at Makoto with a faint, thoughtful smile.

-------------------

Muon stood in front of the large, violet cylinder, watching the writhing creature trapped inside. He made some subtle adjustments to the blue symbols circling the thing, the magical sigils that directed his creation's development. The thing in the tube began moving even more violently, a sign that its agony had increased to a dangerous level. With a quick gesture, Muon shifted the symbols again and the creature quieted.

Most of the blue-haired sorcerer's attention was split between this and his constant studies of the Sailor Senshi. He was more interested in the Senshi, and his eagerness to see his creation finished had momentarily overcome his patience. He had no compunction about causing the thing pain...the process of its development was agonizing no matter how he carried it out. But it would do him no good, and prove somewhat irritating, if he allowed it to die of shock before it could be used.

Given the incredible amounts of pain it was feeling, Muon idly wondered what shape its mind would be in when it was finally ready to be released. He would have to take steps to make sure it did not attack prematurely.

Muon suddenly became aware of Gylax's presence behind him and to his left. The daeva had made herself useful in a thousand little ways Muon had never considered, and one of her better qualities was keeping her presence utterly unnoticeable.

"If your tasks are complete, I have nothing more for you to do at the moment." Muon said. "Remain here for a time and observe. If anything seems to be going wrong, tell me at once. I will be going over my information on the Sailor Senshi again."

"Yes Muon." Gylax said. There seemed to be a certain hesitancy about her.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, Muon. It's just that I..." Gylax stopped talking. Muon turned to the daeva, noticing her nervous posture.

"You are still concerned that I have not shared all my information about the Senshi with Hadron."

"Y-yes...I apologize."

"Hm. Hadron and I have an understanding, as you know. I aid his efforts, and he aids my studies. Neither is beholden to the other. I keep this information secret because it suits me to do so. If Hadron was to discover my suspicions, that these Sailor Senshi are indeed the ancient guardians of the Moon Kingdom reborn, it would likely make him all the more focused on their destruction. As they still require much more study on my part, I would find that inconvenient."

"Of course, Muon." Gylax agreed quickly. "But isn't Lord Hadron focused on that anyway? I mean, they are the only ones standing in the way of his conquest of this world."

Muon gave the silver daeva a long look. "Hadron's efforts towards this world are not based on conquest." He finally said. "There will be no further attempts to activate World Anchors on the Earth." He began to walk into the shadows of his lair.

"But..." Gylax's voice made him pause. "If Hadron doesn't want to conquer this world, what does he want?"

"His ambition necessitates the expedited completion of my studies, that is all you need know." With that, he was gone. Feeling an inexplicable chill, Gylax turned to the tube, watching the helpless creature within writhe and struggle against its invisible bonds.

-------------------

The sun was setting as Minako left Ami's aparment building, and where its light made its way through the looming Tokyo skyline it painted the snow gold and pink. She walked down the crowded sidewalk, singing to herself with a smile on her face. As she turned a corner, the street cleared out, and she thought she heard a voice calling her name. She turned back and saw two odangos popping up and down in the press of humanity. With a grin, Minako leaned against a wall and waited.

A minute or so later Usagi left the crowd and skidded to a halt in front of Minako. "Hi Minako-chan!" She chirped.

"Hi Usagi-chan." Minako replied. "How's it going?"

"Great! I just got back from Mamoru's apartment, and I'm going to pick up Chibi-Usa now. What are you up to?"

Minako smiled and shrugged. "Just heading home."

"Oh yeah?" Usagi said, coyly. She held her hands behind her back and leaned forward with a huge grin. Minako blinked and took a step back. "What were you up to? On a date maybe?"

Minako blinked again, blushing. "Um..."

Usagi jumped up and down gleefully. "I knew it! I knew it! That's why you and Ami have been so weird lately!"

Minako looked wildly from side to side, hoping an escape would suddenly present itself. "I don't know what you're talking about...we just...I mean we're only...um..."

Usagi giggled. "I knew it!" She suddenly began pouting. "But I'm kinda surprised you didn't tell the rest of us yet. I know you and Ami are like best friends now, but I don't know why you'd keep it a secret from the rest of us for so long...unless..." She paused thoughtfully. Minako, who had been about to breathe a sigh of relief, froze again.

"You're dating two guys at once again, aren't you?" Usagi exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the other girl. Minako stared at her for a second and then began to laugh, a laugh only slightly tinged with hysteria. Fortunately, Usagi didn't seem to notice.

"Oh Usagi-chan!" Minako laughed, clapping Usagi on the back so hard the pig-tailed girl stumbled forward a couple of steps. They began walking down the sidewalk, in the general direction of their destinations. "I promise, I learned my lesson the last time. I'm not dating two guys again."

Usagi rubbed her back painfully. "Um...okay. But am I right? Is that why you and Ami have been acting so funny?"

"Yeah...that's it." Minako said, smiling.

"So? Can you tell me who it is?"

Minako grinned a bit. The adrenaline rush of thinking she'd been busted had gone a bit to her head. "You know Usagi-chan, if you try to peek in the cookie jar, you'll always end up getting bit."

Usagi blinked. "I don't think I've ever heard that before."

"It doesn't matter." Minako replied, smiling and shaking her head. "Look...I'll tell you soon, okay?"

"Okay...but I'm still a little confused. I mean, you've never had a problem talking about any of your other dates."

Minako shrugged, avoiding Usagi's eyes. "It's...different this time."

"It is serious?"

"Yeah..." Minako looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I think it is this time."

Usagi offered a small, bright smile. "You know that whoever you're going out with, if you really like him that much, we'll support you, right?"

"I know that." Minako said softly. "That's not it."

"Well, hurry up then!" Usagi said. "I know how hard it is to keep something like that bottled up. Every time I think about Mamo-chan I just want to shout our love from the highest mountains!" Usagi swooned a bit, and Minako chuckled despite herself.

A moment later Usagi had to turn off onto another street. "Well, I'll see you later Minako-chan!" She said, waving.

"Bye Usagi-chan." Minako smiled.

Minako's steps were slow on the way home. Usagi had inadvertently given her a lot to think about. "So, she wants to shout it from the mountains, huh?" She murmured to herself. "I guess Ami probably feels the same way. Do I?" She had to be honest with herself and say no.

Actually, Minako would be just as happy if she and Ami could keep their relationship a secret forever. Far from wanting to tell everybody, she was terrified of letting anybody find out. It was, frankly, bad enough having Haruka and Michiru in on the whole thing.

She arrived at her house, the windows all dark and the driveway empty. Mother was out again, so no surprises there. Her hand rested on the round stone gatepost at the entrance to the yard and she closed her eyes. "So maybe I don't want everyone to know." She said softly. "But I still love her. I do."

She had wanted that to sound defiant. Why did it sound so much like she was trying to convince herself?

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, this was a chapter as much for me as it is for all of you. After taking such a long pause in the story, I needed to do this chapter to make sure my thoughts were all in place for the rest of the story. Still, I hope you found it entertaining enough.

The characters of Sailormoon are not mine, but the bad guys are. Maybe someday I'll use them to conquer Sailormoon, but not yet. Until then, I'm making no money from them.


	17. Chapter 17

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 17

Minako rubbed her hands together and blew on them, noting the puff of steam that rose up from her hands as she did so. "I'm cold!" She complained, hunching her shoulders over and shivering. She was wearing a thick jacket and scarf, with warm black leggings under her skirt, and she was still freezing.

"Oh, hush." Ami said in a soft tone. "It's not that bad." Ami had on slacks and a woolen sweater, but nothing more than that to keep out the cold.

Minako made a little face. "The cold never bothers you, so how would you know?"

"It's a mental thing." Ami said with a giggle. "If you think warm, you'll be warm. Besides," She added, pouting a little bit, "you said you'd walk through the park with me." Minako sighed and smiled.

"You're right. And I guess I shouldn't have any trouble thinking warm when I'm with you." They passed through the gates of the park and Minako reached over and squeezed Ami's hand gently for a moment before releasing it.

Snow doesn't last long in a big city like Tokyo and Ami had been too busy to enjoy it the way she usually liked. But even after a few warmer days, there were still wide stretches of pristine white to be admired in the park. And so Ami had convinced Minako to bundle up and take this walk with her. Ami was finding that Minako was surprisingly easy to convince nowadays in general...about some things, anyway.

Minako sucked in a deep breath of the crisp winter's air and let it out slowly. "It is pretty." She finally allowed, smiling over at her girlfriend. "And you look even prettier in it." Ami blushed and mumbled her thanks. Minako reached out and ran her fingertips along Ami's warm cheek. "So, where should we walk?"

Ami smiled, leaning into Minako's caress. "Well...how about through there?" She pointed at a wooded area with a dirt trail running through it. "I think it goes right through the park, and it comes out near Rei's shrine. We can pay her a visit."

"Fine." They started walking, passing a few groups of small children playing in the snow under their parents' watchful eye. Minako kept giving sidelong glances to Ami, smiling when she noticed Ami doing the same for her. -Couldn't I just stay with her forever?- Minako wondered again. -My mind never feels like it's chasing itself when I'm with her.-

Which was true. The doubts and fears that plagued the blonde senshi about their relationship when she was alone melted away completely when they were together. Of course, when they were together, she was prey to occasional bouts of paranoia that someone they knew would see the two of them in a compromising situation.

Frustrated, Minako puffed out her cheeks and let the air out in an angry little steam cloud. Ami tilted her head and looked over at her, and Minako just grinned and mimed holding a cigarette in her hands. "Silly." Ami said, holding sliding her arms around Minako's elbow and cuddling close. Minako smiled and sidled a bit closer. They had entered the woods, and there was little chance of being seen now.

-The real problem...- Minako mused silently. -is that I don't know if I have doubts about us, or just about me. Artemis is right...I do have trouble opening up. So it's totally possible that these feelings are just some kind of...defense, to keep me from getting close enough to get really hurt.-

Realizing she had gone miles away, Ami paused in their walk. "Mina-chan?" She called softly. "Are you still with us?"

Minako blinked and blushed a little bit, shaking her head. "Sorry Ami...I guess I just got lost for a second."

"Well, I'm glad I found you." Ami said, a teasing tone in her voice.

"Me too." Minako said with a chuckle. -You know what?- She told herself. -For once in my life I'm thinking too much. I just need to enjoy the time I have with her.- Minako looked around and made sure there wasn't anyone on the path with them before steering Ami into the woods.

"Mina-chan?" Ami asked, startled.

Minako just grinned and stopped at a little clearing a short distance from the path. It was bright here, though the shield of the bare tree boughs above kept the snow down to just a light white coverlet over the earth. "I thought you might want to sit down for a bit." She said, sitting against the bole of a tree and helping Ami to sit next to her.

"Our clothes are going to get wet." Ami warned, but smiled and sat next to Minako, cuddling close with her arm draped across Minako's stomach and her head leaning against her shoulder. Minako slipped her arm around the blue-haired girl's shoulder. The park seemed completely silent, the noises of the outside world drowned out by the trees and the snow. Minako couldn't hear anything but the light breeze moving through the woods and the soft sound of Ami's breath.

Ami spoke in a voice that was almost a whisper. "Thank you for coming with me, Mina-chan."

Minako smiled down at the girl in her arms, who was looking back up at her. "I'll go anywhere with you, Ami." She murmured, just gazing into Ami's eyes. They were still cool and calm, like a pond in the winter, but Minako thought they had become softer when they looked at her, with a warmth that Minako felt right in her heart.

Ami smiled lovingly at Minako and turned over, now laying on top of Minako with her arms around her neck. She leaned her forehead against Minako's and began giving her very soft, very light kisses on her lips. Minako slid her arms around Ami and returned the kisses, which became longer and longer until they could no longer be considered plural.

Despite the fact that Ami felt delightfully warm, pressed against Minako as she was, Minako shivered very slightly. Every time Ami kissed her, she felt a cool rush through her body, as if Ami's breath carried just a hint of snow. She wondered how Ami felt when she kissed her, then shivered again as Ami did something with her teeth that made the blonde senshi moan very quietly against the other girl's lips. Minako felt Ami smile, and giggled a bit in response.

Ami turned her attention to Minako's neck, and Minako gasped, tilting her head to the side and curling her fingers into her girlfriend's sweater. "Ami!" The Senshi of Ice said nothing, but her ministrations made Minako's eyes flutter shut out of sheer bliss.

"Ami-chan! Minako-chan! Is that you?" The voice from the path a short distance away made Ami jerk away from Minako with an audible 'pop!' The two stared at each other for a frozen moment, then bounced immediately to their feet. Ami tried to look calm, but Minako was grinning maniacally. Usagi was immediately visible through the trees, bouncing up and down and waving. Mamoru was there was well, along with Makoto and Michiru.

Minako groaned under her breath. She wasn't relishing the looks they would get once they reached the path. And, sure enough, when they arrived at the others, trying desperately to look casual, Makoto was grinning at the two of them with an insufferably knowing expression, while Michiru just looked serenely amused. It was impossible to say what Mamoru was thinking, as he was standing a short distance away, looking down the path.

Usagi, thankfully, remained as clueless as ever. "Hi guys!" She chirped. "What were you up to?"

"We were..." Minako fumbled. "Having...a picnic!"

Ami blinked and looked at Minako in disbelief. 'A picnic?' She mouthed. Minako shrugged weakly.

"You forgot your food back there, then." Michiru said gently. Minako shot her a sharp look, but Michiru just smiled.

"It...wasn't much of a picnic." Ami recovered. "Just a couple of...um...sandwiches."

"Right!" Minako chimed in. "I've got the wrappers in my pockets. You know what they say...too much waste makes for a poor bedfellow."

"Erm...right." Ami said, blushing as she rubbed the back of her head. The group headed off down the path, Minako chattering at a mile a minute in an attempt to make everyone forget where she and Ami had been found, peppering her speech with many more nuggets of wisdom. Ami walked quietly at the back of the group, smiling to herself as she listened.

-------------------

Chibi-Usa looked through the window of another store, looking for a good present for Hotaru. "That's a cute shirt." Diana said from her perch on her mistress's head. Chibi-Usa took a look through the window and shook her head.

"That's way too pink...she'd never wear it. Besides, I want to get her something better than clothes."

"She's really upset, isn't she?"

Chibi-Usa nodded a very little bit, so as not to disturb the grey kitten's position. "She's never really had a fight with Michiru. Or Haruka or Setsuna, either. She's really upset, so I want to do something nice to cheer her up!" At that moment a group of people passed close by, so they had to stop talking until they were out of earshot.

Chibi-Usa passed over to another shop. There was nothing in the window that piqued her interest, but she could see that inside they had some merchandise that a bit more gothic, more like the sort of thing Hotaru would like. "Let's try in here." She said, looking up at Diana.

The store seemed completely empty as they entered. "Um...hello?" Chibi-Usa called out. Silence was the only response. Peering into the back, the young girl could see a clerk behind the counter, her head resting in her arms. "Wow, I guess this place isn't very busy." She said quietly.

"I'm not sure." Diana whispered. "Something smells funny in here. We should be careful." Chibi-Usa nodded and carefully began to make her way towards the back of the shop. But as she stepped around an aisle, she saw something that made her scream loudly. There were three people laying sprawled on the ground, two women and a man. They didn't move at all in response to Chibi-Usa's shriek, and she stepped backwards until her back collided with the wall.

Diana had leapt from Chibi-Usa's head and was slowly approaching the nearest of the prone victims. She sniffed lightly at the poor woman, and then recoiled, her fur standing straight up. "They're alive...but they're really, really sick!" She exclaimed.

Chibi-Usa had been holding her fists against her mouth, her eyes shut tight. But she lowered her hands and opened an eye at Diana's words. "They're...alive?" She looked around again. "Then they need help! We have to call an ambulance!" A sound from the back made her look in that direction. A woman had emerged from the back room. She was beautiful in a frail way. Her hair was long and bright red, appearing even more vivid in comparison to her chalk white skin. She was dressed in a long, flowing black gown and seemed to almost float as she walked.

"Do you work here?" Chibi-Usa said desperately. "Everyone's sick...we need to get them help." She paused for a moment, taking in the woman's pale skin and sunken cheeks. "Oh...you're sick too, aren't you? Don't worry, it'll be okay..." She was about to step forward, but a sound from Diana made her look down. The little kitten's back was arched, and she was hissing at the woman, her eyes wide with fear. Chibi-Usa's eyes widened and she looked again at the woman who was slowly approaching her.

"You...you're a daeva, aren't you?" She said, stepping backwards. "You made all these people sick, didn't you?" She swallowed and tried to look defiant. "I won't let you get away with this!" She held her brooch up in the air. "MOON PRISM POWER...MAKE UP!"

Transformed, Sailor Chibi-Moon pointed her wand at the daeva, who hadn't slowed her approach. "I won't let you keep hurting these innocent people! I am Sailor Chibi-Moon, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

That finally had an effect, as the daeva stopped and stared at the young senshi. Chibi-Moon glared at her from over the one aisle that now separated them. A tiny, satisfied smile appeared on the daeva's face, and she lifted her hand languidly. A strange, glowing mist gathered around it, and in a move so quick it could barely be seen, she sent it slashing downwards. The shelf immediately began to sag and melt, giving off a reeking fume.

Chibi-Moon covered her mouth and nose, coughing. The daeva stepped over the ruined shelf and Chibi-Moon threw up her wand again. "Stay back!" She shouted, still coughing. "PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!"

The tiny pink hearts flew, and pale woman moved to the side to avoid them so fast it seemed like she teleported. She floated backwards, and Chibi-Usa took her retreat as an opportunity to shout into her communicator.

"This is Sailor Chibi-Moon! There's a daeva here making people sick! Come quick!" She gave her location and turned off the communicator, looking up quickly to see where the sickly-looking daeva had gone. She had retreated further, almost back to the open door of the storeroom. Chibi-Moon took a look at the door. It was metal, unlike the wooden shelf the daeva had just destroyed. If she could chase her back there, maybe it would hold her long enough for the others to arrive...

Sailor Chibi-Moon began approaching her enemy slowly, cautiously. The smile had fallen away, and the daeva was now looking at the girl with a mildly curious expression on her face. When just ten feet separated the two of them, the pink-haired senshi brandished her wand again. "PINK SUGAR..."

"Behind you!" Diana shrieked. Chibi-Moon spun around. A second daeva, identical to the first save her hair with bright blue instead of red, was falling from the ceiling, her gown billowing around her. Chibi-Moon cried out and fell backwards. She scrambled back, trying to get to her feet again, but before she could the red-haired woman had gripped her by the shoulders and pulled her up. The blue-haired one drifted forward, a wide smile on her face that didn't reach her dead, expressionless eyes.

There was a grey streak in the air. Diana had launched herself from the ground at the face of the red-haired daeva, biting and scratching. One hand left Chibi-Moon and the other loosened, allowing Chibi-Moon to twist away as the daeva swatted the kitten away from her. Diana landed lightly on the ground and shook herself.

"We have to get away!" The little cat cried. Chibi-Moon nodded and the two of them rushed to the door. But the blue-haired daeva appeared suddenly in front of Sailor Chibi-Moon, blocking her escape.

Frantically, Chibi-Moon raised her wand. "PINK SUGAR HEART..." Before she could finish, however, the deava had leaned forward and pressed her lips to the girl's. Chibi-Moon felt hot, then cold. The daeva allowed her to stagger backwards, coughing. The world felt like it was spinning.

"Sailor Chibi-Moon!" Diana screamed. Chibi-Moon looked up, her face a mask of determination.

"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!" The attack hit true this time, the pink hearts striking the daeva squarely in the face and forcing her back. Chibi-Moon pushed past her and out into the street. Without looking back, the senshi and her kitten ran as fast as possible, only stopping once they had reached a deep alley. Chibi-Moon leaned against the wall and slid immediately to the floor, breathing heavily. She was hot, so very hot...

"Chibi-Moon?" Diana asked, licking the girl's gloved hand.

Sailor Chibi-Moon took a deep breath and coughed weakly. "I can't...move..." She said in a tiny voice. "You have to get help, Diana. Find Hotaru...maybe she..." She fell silent and Diana, panic-stricken, jumped on her chest, pushing at her with her forepaws.

"Sailor Chibi-Moon! Sailor Chibi-Moon!" The girl's eyes cracked open.

"Hurry Diana, please..."

"Okay!" Diana said, tears in her eyes as she pelted out of the alley. Chibi-Usa banished her transformation and concentrated on remaining awake.

"Hotaru-chan..." She muttered. "Help me...please help me..."

-------------------

Rei and Hotaru were just a short distance away from the area when Chibi-Moon sent out the distress call. Rei had been very distressed at the atmosphere between Michiru and Hotaru, and was making an effort to try to get the two of them to make up.

"Come on, Rei-chan!" Hotaru exclaimed, jumping to her feet. The two of them were having coffee. "We have to go!"

Rei stood up as well, but was looking a great deal more hesitant. "Hotaru-chan..."

Hotaru looked suspiciously at the dark-haired miko. "If you're going to tell me to stay back here..."

"Well, with what we were just talking about, it might go a long way with Michiru if you sat this one out!" Rei said defensively.

"I'm am NOT going to sit back while Chibi-Usa is in danger. Not one of you would ask any of the others to stay behind if someone you loved were in trouble." Hotaru snapped.

Rei snapped right back. "Exactly! They're not stupid, you know. They probably know by now how much you care for her so threatening her would be a perfect..."

"I don't care!" Hotaru shouted, making everyone in the area turn to look at her. "I don't care." She continued in a much quieter tone. "I don't care if it's a trap or not, I'm not going to stay here. If you don't take me with you, I'll just..." She stopped, staring at the door to the coffee shop. Rei turned to see, and ended up staring as well.

Diana was standing in the doorway, her fur bristling in all directions. Rei and Hotaru hurried out of the shop and down the street to a quieter spot. "Hotaru-chan!" Diana said in a tearful, desperate voice. "Chibi-Usa is sick! The daeva made her really really sick. You have to come help her!"

Rei and Hotaru looked at each other, and Rei straightened up and smiled. "Well, let's go." Hotaru looked at the Senshi of Fire in surprise. "You're right, Hotaru-chan." Rei said. "I can't ask you to stay behind. Now let's hurry." Diana hurtled down the street, and the two girls came running up after.

The street that Diana led them to was very close. It was also very empty. A few people were slumped on the ground here and there, and other than that it was utterly deserted. "We should transform." Rei said. Hotaru nodded her agreement.

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"SATURN PLANET POWER!"

"MAKE UP!"

As if summoned, the daeva with the red hair emerged from a doorway as they finished transforming. Sailor Mars felt the hair on the back of her neck standing up as she looked at her. "Is that her?" She said, looking down at Diana. "That's one of them." Diana confirmed.

"One of them?" Saturn asked.

"There are two. The other one has blue hair." Mars looked up and down the street, but there was no sign of the other daeva.

"Sailor Saturn...go with Diana and find Chibi-Usa. I'll take care of this." Saturn stared at Mars and Mars snapped. "Go!" Sailor Saturn jerked and nodded, stepping back a few paces, her eyes on the daeva, before running off after Chibi-Usa.

The daeva made to follow the young Senshi, but a flash of fire appeared at her feet. "Going somewhere?" Rei smirked. "What's your name?"

"Velena." The daeva said in a languid voice that seemed to rise up from the ground. She gathered the glowing mist around both hands and flung them forward, the green mist streaming towards Sailor Mars. Sailor Mars leapt nimbly out of the way, noting with horror the way the mist liquefied the concrete where she had just been standing.

"Wow, you're fun." Mars said sardonically. "FIRE SOUL!" The ball of fire blazed out and collided with a fresh stream of mist that Velena had sent towards her. There was a massive flash as the cloud of poisonous mist went up in a ball of fire. Rei held her arm in front of her face to shield herself from the blast of heat. As she lowered it, she saw a massive scorch mark in the center of the street, and Velena a short distance away. She bore several scorch marks herself, but was wearing a very slight smirk.

A glance at the prone form next to her told Mars why. She had positioned herself near one of the unconscious victims. If Mars started another explosion like that so close to the helpless person... "Damn!" Mars cursed. "Get away from him, you coward!" She shouted. The daeva responded by sending a billowing green cloud towards her. Mars flipped jumped away, but the cloud was swiftly growing to fill the whole street.

"This is not good." Sailor Mars muttered to herself.

-------------------

Sailor Saturn followed Diana down the next street, to the alley where the kitten had left Chibi-Usa. With a sigh of relief, Saturn saw that the pink haired girl was still there. But as she knelt down next to her, she felt another stab of fear. Chibi-Usa was as pale as death, and breathing so slowly that Saturn had to hold the blade of her Glaive next to her mouth to make sure she was breathing at all. Her pulse was incredibly fast, but also terribly weak. And her skin was almost burning to the touch.

Diana was turning in a tiny circle, looking terribly fearful. "Is she going to be okay? Is she?" Sailor Saturn didn't trust herself to answer. "The other one, the blue-haired one, she kissed Chibi-Usa, that's what made her sick!"

Despite herself, Saturn felt a tiny prick of jealousy in her heart, and actually smiled a tiny bit because of it. "Not the time." She muttered, setting her Glaive to the side and placing both hands over Chibi-Usa's heart. Feeling the desperate fluttering beneath her palms brought tears to Saturn's eyes. "You'll be okay." She whispered. "I promise."

Saturn closed her eyes and her hair was ruffled by the violet aura that surrounded her as she summoned up the power that was hers as the Soldier of Death and Rebirth. That aura extended to Chibi-Usa, and a bright point of white appeared beneath Saturn's hands. Saturn opened her eyes, and they were filled with bright violet light.

"This child hovers on the edge of death." She said in a voice much older than the one she usually spoke in. Diana paused in her frantic movements to stare at her. "The illness within her is different than that in the others. That illness is made to be painful and lingering. This sickness seeks to kill, and kill quickly. I do not know if I can dispel it in time."

Her eyes closed again, a look of tight concentration on her face. The white light beneath her hands began to pulse quickly in time with Chibi-Usa's ragged heartbeat. It began to spread out over Chibi-Usa's body, though the effort was causing Sailor Saturn a great deal of effort and pain, judging from her expression and the sweat that stood out on her brow. The pulsing of the light began to slow, and Saturn felt that Chibi-Usa's heartbeat had become slower and stronger, though her breath with still faint and shallow.

"I'll save you Chibi-Usa." Saturn said in old, wise tone. But as she spoke, it began to slide slowly towards her usual mode of speech. "I'll save you, no matter what..." She panted, screwing her eyes shut tight. "I'll save you...because...I...love you!" The white light flashed bright violet and was gone, along with the aura surround Sailor Saturn.

Sailor Saturn teetered for a moment, and then slumped against Chibi-Usa, her face resting against the smaller girl's chest. Diana stared at the two of them, frightened, but her expression turned to joy as she saw Chibi-Usa's eyes open. "Hotaru?" She said weakly, looking down and placing her hands on Sailor Saturn's shoulders.

"Chibi-Usa..." Saturn breathed, looking up at her with an exhausted smile. "You're okay...I'm so glad..."

"I knew you'd come." Chibi-Usa said, her voice gaining a little strength. She leaned her face forward and gave Saturn a gentle kiss. Saturn smiled and slid her hand into Chibi-Usa's, squeezing it softly.

-------------------

The battle, such as it was, between Sailor Mars and Velena was not going well. Still unable to retaliate, Mars had been backed into a wall, the faintly glowing cloud of pestilential green less than three feet away, and still growing. Mars could see the silhouette of the daeva within the center of the cloud, her arms held high and mist billowing from them.

"Ok, here goes..." Mars took a few deep breaths and held it, rushing into the cloud, her hand cocked back into a fist. She was a bit surprised that although the street beneath her feet had become quite pliable, she felt nothing worse than a slight burning on her exposed skin. Velena looked up in shock as Mars approached, and sailed backwards as she was struck solidly in the stomach. The mist ceased pouring from her arms and began to dissipate immediately.

Velena pulled herself to her feet slowly, Mars glaring at her. Sailor Mars ran forward again, but Velena slid out of the way of the next blow with blinding speed. Again and again Mars tried to strike, but again and again the daeva deftly avoided her. Mars felt her lungs burning and knew she didn't have long to finish this.

"SHABON SPRAY!" Icy, bubbly mist filled the air, dispelling the weakened poison fumes immediately. "Now Mars!" Sailor Mercury cried out.

"Right! MARS FLAME SNIPER!" The blazing arrow sped through the mist and struck Velena directly through the chest. She went up in flames immediately, burning as if she had been made of dry paper. As the mist cleared, Mars grinned at Sailor Mercury as the visor disappeared from her face. Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Neptune were there as well, along with Tuxedo Kamen.

"Thanks Mercury." Mars said. "I couldn't have lasted much longer."

"Where's Chibi-Usa?" Sailor Moon asked in a frightened tone. Mars noted that Tuxedo Kamen was looking more than a little worried as well. "Did you find her? What happened?"

Sailor Mars glanced down the street, where she had last seen Saturn and Diana running. "I'm not sure...Diana came to get us, but I had to stay here and fight while Saturn went to find her..." Her eyes widened and she snapped her head back to look at Neptune, who was looking at her with a very tight-lipped expression.

"You let her go by herself?" Neptune asked in a soft tone. Mars briefly thought of mentioning that Diana was with her, but quickly abandoned that and just nodded. "How COULD you Rei-chan?" Neptune exclaimed, making Mars and everyone else jump. "How could you? You know how much danger she's in!"

"She...she wouldn't have stayed if I asked..." Mars began to protest weakly.

"You were with her, and it was your responsibility to keep her safe!" Neptune snapped. Mars took a step back. She'd never seen the normally sedate Senshi of the Sea like this. "I trusted you Rei-chan! I trusted you to keep Hotaru safe, and now this. It was bad enough to let her come here, but to let her go out on her own..." Neptune took a deep breath and glared at Mars, speaking in a cold tone. "I thought I could trust you Rei-chan. I guess I was wrong."

Mars looked like she had been slapped. A cold, hard knot formed in the base of her stomach, and she tried to talk, opening her mouth several times, but no words emerged. With a strangled sob, she turned on her heel and bolted down the empty, silent street.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ooo, teh angst! Just to clarify, I love Michiru, I truly do. But I've read too many fics where she's not one of the main characters and she's portrayed as a perfect, serene...I dunno, paragon or something. I just want to show that she's human and has faults and can make mistakes like anyone else. Don't worry, it won't be like this for long.

I don't own Sailormoon or any of it's characters. Please don't sue me!

-Jessica


	18. Chapter 18

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 18

Mars turned into an alley and out into the next street. She didn't know if anyone was following her, and she didn't care if they were. She could barely see through her tears, so it wasn't truly surprising when she tripped and fell flat on her face. With a shriek of frustration she pounded on the sidewalk, pushing herself to her feet. Without missing a beat, she planted her foot into an innocent newspaper vending machine with such force that the door fell off completely.

"Stupid...so stupid!" She sobbed, slumping against the nearest wall and sliding to the floor. She felt guilty, angry and humiliated. Part of her wanted to go back and take Sailor Neptune's head off for speaking to her like that. Another part wanted to run so far away that she'd never have to see the aqua-haired woman again. So she just gave into her other impulse, curled her knees beneath her chin and buried her face in her hands.

However, after a few moments, she was broken out of her stupor by a loud cracking and rumbling from the building she was leaning on. She looked up in time to see a massive cloud of dust blow out of the store's front door. For the first time, she took in her surroundings. Though this was several streets away from her previous fight, this area was empty as well, save for the prone victims of the other daeva. There was one a short distance away, a young woman carrying several bags.

Sailor Mars approached the woman and felt for a pulse, wincing as she felt how hot the woman's skin was. There was a pulse, faint but steady. She tried to wake the woman, but she didn't move, her face a mask of pain. With a sigh, Mars let her go. Frowning, she stood and approached the store. Even from here, she could see that one of the interior walls had collapsed. She approached cautiously. This kind of destruction didn't seem like Valena's style, but who knew what her partner would do?

But when she entered the doorway and her eyes became accustomed to the light, caution was abandoned. A small white hand was sticking out of the bottom of the pile of rubble. "Chibi-Usa?" She cried out. The hand curled, but there was no other movement. "Chibi-Usa, is that you?" Mars fell to her knees and began hurling the debris out of the way, tugging on the arm now and then to see if it's owner had come free. Whoever it was did not seem to have been infected, but the hand was very cold.

Finally, Mars was able to gently pull the small form from the pile safely. She breathed a sigh of relief that it was not, in fact, Chibi-Usa, but her relief was quickly replaced by concern. It was a little girl, maybe eight years old, and dressed in the uniform of a nearby elementary school. She was bruised, and there was a small cut on her forehead, but she didn't seem to be seriously injured. She groaned weakly as Mars brushed her long, violet hair away from her face, but did not awaken.

"You must have ducked inside to get away from the daeva." Sailor Mars said softly, gently stroking the child's cheek. "I wonder what made the wall collapse like that, though?" She stood, cradling the little girl in her arms. Even for such a small girl, Mars found her surprisingly light. "Well, I can't leave you here." She sighed deeply. "I guess I'd better try to find the others." She winced at the thought of seeing them again. "Well, maybe bringing you with me will make everyone forget about what just happened."

She left the store carefully, still worried that the other daeva might be somewhere nearby. As she walked, her mind was totally occupied, both looking out for danger, and still consumed with the embarrassment of what had just happened between her and Sailor Neptune. So she didn't notice the girl's eyes begin to flutter, or the tiny smile that appeared on her lips.

-------------------

Sailor Venus fell back to talk quietly with Sailor Mercury. She spoke very quietly, so as not to be overheard. "Are you getting anything?" The blue-haired senshi had her visor out and was punching keys with a rather dissatisfied look on her face.

"Nothing beyond just a few feet." She answered back just as quietly. "There's some kind of interference field."

"Do you know what's causing it?"

"No." Mercury whispered with a small sigh, turning off the visor and putting the computer away. "That's the most frustrating part. Every time I try to analyze the field, it changes. It seems to be completely random."

"I hope Mars is okay." Venus murmured.

"I just hope we find her soon." Mercury answered with a wry smile. The two of them were in the back, and Sailor Moon was in the middle of the group, where Sailor Venus had been until just a moment ago. Tuxedo Kamen had left a short time ago, saying it was better to split off into two groups to look around.

In the lead of the group, and the reason for the extremely uncomfortable atmosphere, were Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Neptune. Both were stalking forward, not looking at each other. Both had a furious expression on their face. It was obvious why Neptune was still angry, but Venus was surprised at Jupiter's reaction. After Sailor Mars had run off just a minute ago, Jupiter had stared Neptune in the face, a look in her eyes so intense that Venus was afraid the Senshi of Thunder was about to hit the other girl.

But without a word, Jupiter had spun on her heel and quickly started off in the direction Mars had fled. Neptune followed after a moment, as did the others. That had been just a couple of minutes ago, but Sailor Venus was already getting worried. There was still another daeva out there, somewhere. She didn't quite understand why Sailor Mars had run off like that...there was an idea in the back of her head, but it seemed so far-fetched she couldn't really finish the thought. But she was becoming increasingly convinced that Mars had put herself in terrible danger by running off alone.

And where was Sailor Saturn? Was she in danger as well? Had she and Diana found Chibi-Moon? Venus bit her lip and looked up and down the silent, desolate street. She felt a hand on her arm and looked over at Mercury, who gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm sure they're all okay." She whispered. "They can take care of themselves." Venus nodded, smiling in return. Ahead of them, the two leaders had just turned a corner, and Sailor Moon followed. However, the blonde senshi was bounced back and fell on her backside. The other two girls had stopped dead just as they turned the corner.

"Ow!" Sailor Moon cried indignantly. "What's wrong with you two..." She sucked in a deep breath and covered her mouth. "Oh no..." She said in a faint voice. "Please..."

Venus and Mercury ran forward to look. Venus took a few steps back as she saw, but Mercury, ever the pragmatist, ran forward. Rei was laying facedown in the street, her transformation banished. She almost seemed like one of the ill victims that lay everywhere, save that she was laying in a slowly expanding pool of blood.

Sailor Mercury knelt next to the miko. This seemed to snap Jupiter out of a trance, and she did the same. The Senshi of Ice very gently and slowly turned Rei over, and there was a quiet gasp of horror from everyone. Rei's face, usually rather pale, was now as pallid as death. Her fuku was absolutely soaked in blood that was still welling up from a deep wound in her right shoulder.

Sailor Moon first found the courage to speak. "Is she...please, don't let her be..." She trailed off, her voice shaking and tears running down her cheeks.

Trying to ignore how cold Rei's skin was, Mercury felt her neck for a pulse. "She alive." She said in a shaky whisper. "But she's lost so much blood..."

At that moment, Tuxedo Kamen leapt from the rooftop above, his cape swirling around him. "What happened?" He asked in a stunned voice.

"We don't know, but it's not important. We need to Rei to a hospital, now." Mercury said, her voice gaining strength. She looked over a Jupiter. "Jupiter...here." She took the brunette senshi's hand and placed it over Rei's wound. "Keep applying pressure to try and stop the bleeding."

"I'll drive her to the hospital." Neptune said, stepping forward. "We should go now."

"No." Sailor Jupiter said in a harsh voice, glaring daggers at the Senshi of the Sea.

"Jupiter, we don't have time for..." Venus started, but Jupiter cut her off.

"I don't care!" Jupiter snapped, drawing Rei closer protectively. "I don't want her anywhere near Rei. This is her fault."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Neptune looked stricken. "I'm...sorry." She finally said in a very weak voice, stepping back and turning away.

"I'll take her." Tuxedo Kamen said quietly. Jupiter nodded and very gently picked Rei up, cradling the girl in her powerful arms as easily as she would a child.

"I'll go with them." Mercury said, standing as well. "My visor isn't working at all, so I'll be more useful there."

"I'll go..." Sailor Moon said. She was still crying shakily.

Venus placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled as the princess looked at her. "We can't all go, Sailor Moon. And we need you here. There's still another daeva out there, remember?" Sailor Moon nodded, looking unhappy.

The small group split off, but Mercury beckoned Venus to join them. Venus fell into step with the other girl. "What's up?" She said in a quiet tone. "I probably should stay here too..." Mercury cut her off by pulling her into a doorway and kissing her fiercely. Venus fumbled for a moment, then returned the brief kiss, holding the other girl tightly.

"Be careful." Mercury whispered in a teary voice. "There's something wrong here, I feel it. Promise me you'll be careful."

"Hey..." Venus said with a small, confident smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I promise. Nothing could keep me from you." Mercury nodded, not smiling. She gave Venus another kiss, a very brief one, and then ran to catch up with Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen. Venus jogged back to join Sailor Moon and Sailor Neptune.

-------------------

Meanwhile, a few streets down, two more Sailor Senshi were trying to figure out what was going on. "Are the communicator's still not working?" Sailor Pluto asked, her face tight, as if she wasn't feeling well.

"Nothing." Sailor Uranus answered, giving the little device on her wrist a frustrated flick. "Whatever's getting to you must be affecting them as well."

"Or whoever." Pluto replied, holding her forehead in her hand as she leaned on her Garnet Rod. "I'm starting to think that the one who's been blocking Rei and I is close by."

"Hm." Uranus looked up and down the street, at all the figures laying there. "Are you sure you're not getting whatever these people have?"

"Yes." Pluto said, straightening. "As I said...whatever they have, it's not natural. I doubt you can catch it from another person. These people have been attacked."

Uranus slammed her fist into her hand. "Damn it...I hate not knowing what's going on."

"Shh!" Pluto said, holding up her hand. "Do you hear that?" Both fell silent to listen. Sure enough, from some distance away, the sound of a little voice singing happily could be heard, though the song was in no language that either of the senshi recognized.

A little girl, dressed in a elementary school uniform, danced out of a side street, her violet hair twirling around her. There was something glittering in her hand. She caught sight of the two Sailor Senshi and waved, smiling brightly.

"What's wrong with her...?" Uranus began, but was cut off by a sharp gasp from Pluto.

"Look in her hand." The Guardian of Time said softly. Uranus did so, and narrowed her eyes. There was a slim, long-bladed knife in her hand, and there was blood still dripping off it. "It's her." Pluto whispered. "I don't believe it...she's the one."

"You're Sailor Senshi!" The girl chirped, stopping when she was about twenty feet away. "Which ones are you?"

"Um..." Uranus glanced over at Pluto, who nodded slightly. Uranus took that to mean they should keep the child talking. "I'm Sailor Uranus...this is Sailor Pluto."

"Ooo!" The girl gasped dramatically, holding her free hand over her mouth. "Sailor Pluto? You're the one I've been shielding us from. You're really good...it's been hard! There's another one I was shielding...but she won't be a bother anymore."

"What do you mean?" Uranus asked, a cold feeling appearing in her stomach.

The tiny girl grinned, an expression that twisted Uranus' gut. There was absolutely no sanity in that smile. She brought her knife up to her mouth and licked the blood from the blade. "What did you do to her?" Uranus demanded, starting forward. Pluto laid a restraining hand on her shoulder, and the blonde senshi shook it off, though she did stop.

"She screamed once, when I stabbed her. She was too loud, but the knife made her stop. I was aiming for her heart, but she saw me and twisted away. But I cut her really deep...she's probably dead now." She pouted. "She was beautiful. I wanted to carve her up into little pieces, but I couldn't, because I knew there were others coming."

She looked up at Uranus, a soulless glitter in her eyes. "You're really pretty too, though. I like blonde girls. Maybe I can carve you up. She ran forward, knife held high. Uranus seemed transfixed.

Not understanding why Uranus wasn't moving, Pluto moved instead. Her Rod swung down, blocking the knife's blade. There was a sickly yellow flash as the two of them came into contact, and the girl sprang back. Pluto's action seemed to have surprised her, shocked her so much that her mask dropped for an instant. Pluto shuddered as she saw what lay behind it.

For an instant, the girl's face assumed an expression of madness and anger like Pluto had never seen. She knew that this child didn't just want to kill, she wanted...she needed...to make her victims suffer. There was nothing inside of her except hatred and frustration. "Who are you?" Pluto asked in a calm voice.

The mask had already shifted back, and the girl smiled at her. "I'm Tachyon. I guess I should have known you'd be immune to me." Pluto looked at Uranus again. She had moved, but only a little. It did seem like she was going to try to block the strike that Pluto had deflected.

"So that's it." Pluto said in understanding. "That's how you're doing it. You don't actually affect the timestream...you just affect the way things move through it." It was the difference between a river and the boats that floated on it. Sailor Pluto could change the flow of the river itself. This girl Tachyon could control the boats that moved through it. It took a lot less energy, and it was easy to hide the little boats in great river of time.

Tachyon giggled. "That's right! Of course, Lady Meson will probably tell me I need to get to work, but you all caused poor Gluon such problems, I thought I should get a few of you out of the way first. Like the other one...even if she's not dead, she'll never bother me again."

"Don't be so sure, Tachyon." Pluto touched the Garnet Orb lightly to Uranus' shoulder, and with a red flash normalized her passage through time once again. Uranus looked disorientated for a moment, then turned angry eyes to the tiny girl.

Tachyon took a few steps backwards. "I don't have enough time to fight with you, Sailor Pluto." She said with a smile. "So I guess I'll have to leave it up to her." The blue-haired daeva suddenly appeared, kneeling behind Tachyon and holding her close, her cheek pressed to the child's.

"This is Malattia." She said, stroking the daeva's pale face gently. "She's very sad, because her sister just got killed. It was the dark haired one who did it." She smiled fondly. "Did it make you feel better when I stabbed her?" Malattia nodded. "Good!" Tachyon sighed. "Poor Malattia just isn't having a good day...she got hurt, too."

Pluto surveyed the street. "She is the one making all these people sick." She stated.

"Yes! You're so smart!" Tachyon beamed, clapping her hands. "Malattia puts a tiny little bit of herself inside all these people and they get really sick. They'll die eventually, once she gets tired of feeding on them. But it takes awhile. But the pink-haired one...Malattia wanted her to die quickly, so she put a lot of herself inside her. But then someone came along and killed the piece of her inside the pink one. I bet it hurt really bad."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Uranus snapped.

"You'll see. Tell the others I said hi. Bye bye!" Tachyon vanished in an instant, leaving the blue-haired Malattia alone. The daeva stood up, looking carefully at the two Sailor Senshi. There was a sound from the side street Tachyon had emerged from, and all three turned to look. Sailor Venus, Sailor Moon and Sailor Neptune all emerged, looking like they were under a huge strain. Neptune looked the worst of all, as Uranus was able to immediately see she had been crying.

Uranus was about to ask what had happened, but Malattia wasted no time. She streaked forward, almost too fast to be seen. Uranus twisted out of the way. There was an odd smell in the air in the daeva's wake. It made Uranus feel dizzy and feverish. She stumbled back, but Pluto caught her.

"Are you okay?" Pluto asked. Uranus nodded, standing straight.

"I'll be fine. Be careful!" She called to the others. "She's the one making everyone sick."

"Right." Venus said, assuming a defensive posture. Sailor Moon stepped to the side, casting the silent daeva a frightened look.

Neptune gave Uranus a look that almost broke her heart. -What happened? Oh no...Rei!- Uranus thought, her stomach going cold again. -No, it can't be true...she was lying...-

Malattia was on the move again, twisting towards Sailor Moon. The pig-tailed girl looked terrified for a moment, then frowned. "I'm tired of you daeva! MOON TIARA ACTION!" The glowing disk tore through the air, slicing through the enemy. "Yes!" Sailor Moon exulted. But even as they watched, the daeva's torso floated in the air, bonding with her lower half once again. "What?"

"Let me try!" Venus said, stepping forward. "CRESCENT BEAM!" Pluto attacked at the same time. "Dead...scream..." The attacks struck the daeva at the same time, and there was a detonation of garnet and gold. When the light cleared, Malattia was nowhere to be seen.

"Did we get her?" Venus asked. The next instant, she fell to her knees, coughing. The world spun around her in a hot, feverish haze. She was sure she was about to be sick.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon cried out, reaching for her. But she began to cough and fell onto her side, groaning weakly. The Outer Senshi were now the only ones standing.

"She's still here...but where?" Uranus said, turning around as if trying to catch the invisible enemy off-guard.

"Wait...maybe I can find her." Neptune said, revealing her Talisman Mirror. "SUBMARINE REFLECTION!" The light poured from the mirror, and a twisting blue mist was revealed, hanging in the air. It seemed to be pouring into Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus's open mouths.

"How do we fight that?" Uranus asked, aghast.

"You don't." A languid whisper seemed to come from the air itself. "Soon, we will all be together." The mist gathered itself and shot tendrils out towards the other three Senshi. They tried to dodge, but it was no use. The mist poured into their mouths and nostrils, and they fell as well, coughing and gasping for air. A rippling sound filled the street, and the Senshi dimly realized that Malattia was laughing at them.

"Enough." The voice was quiet, but there was a power to it that made the world freeze. Sailor Saturn stepped out of the shadows of an alley, the sunlight gleaming off of the blade of her Silence Glaive. "Leave my friends alone, and remove yourself from all of these people."

"You...you healed the girl." The mist swung through the air and slowly assumed human shape once more.

"Yes...I am Sailor Saturn, the warrior of death and rebirth." Saturn leveled her weapon at the daeva. "This world has no place for a creature like you. Leave now, or be destroyed." Malattia smiled. Quick as thought, she moved forward, her lips making contact with Saturn's before the small senshi could react. She jumped back, avoiding the clumsy swing that Saturn aimed at her. Her smile vanished, however, as a violet aura suffused Sailor Saturn. The daeva clutched her chest in pain and took a step back.

"You cannot survive within my body, daeva. As I said...leave."

"We shall see." Malattia vanished again. Sailor Saturn's aura became visible once more, but she began to cough and fell forward on her knees. The daeva was invisible once again, but Saturn could easily imagine that mist pouring into her lungs. The pavement beneath her began to sway violently back and forth, and she caught herself on her hands before falling on her face.

Calling forth all her power, Sailor Saturn saw that it was useless. Her powers of healing worked best when applied to others, not herself. She was able to fight off complete incapacitation, but it was a losing battle. And she couldn't fight back while concentrating so much on just staying conscious.

She pulled herself upright, using the blade of the Silence Glaive for support. As she moved, the sunlight caught on something on Sailor Moon's chest, moving in time with her weak, shallow breath. It was her transformation locket. "Ginzuishou..." Saturn coughed, starting forward. It was their only chance. She thought of Chibi-Usa, laying asleep in the alley with Diana watching over her. Malattia would find her once Saturn fell. She couldn't let that happen.

She started forward, but fell to her hands and knees after just a step. She let the Silence Glaive fall as she doggedly crawled forward. "Just give up." The voice seemed to be coming from Saturn's own mouth. She ignored it. "Give in...it hurts now, but I am always kind to those I am with. When you finally die, you will feel such relief, it will be bliss. Just give yourself to me."

"Never." Saturn croaked. She had reached Sailor Moon. Her eyes were fluttering, just as Chibi-Usa's had been. Throwing caution to the wind, she placed her hands against Sailor Moon's chest and threw everything she had into healing the Sailor Senshi's leader. With a great, hacking cough, Sailor Moon cracked her eyes open. She wasn't healed, but she was awake. Saturn prayed that would be enough.

"Sailor Saturn?" Sailor Moon asked weakly. Feeling herself slip away, Saturn took Sailor Moon's hands and placed them on her locked.

"Ginzuishou..." She whispered, her eyes rolling back into her head. She slumped against the street, breathing weakly.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes, detaching the locket from her fuku and holding it up with a shaking hand. She could feel the daeva slipping into her body, trying to reclaim her. "No..." She said, coughing. "My friends...all these people...you can't have them..." Her voice was gaining strength as she spoke, and pink and white light began to shine from between her fingers. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" White light blazed over the street, making the sun appear dim in comparison as a star appeared in Sailor Moon's hands. She felt her body purged of the presence of the daeva, and as she stood, looking from side to side, she saw the white light wash over the other Senshi, snuffing out a tiny wisp of blue that appeared in each of their mouths. Up and down the street, the same thing was happening to everyone else. Finally, just in front of Sailor Moon, Malattia appeared, hovering in the air. She seemed to be boiling away slowly, and she arched her back and shrieked as the light finally tore her apart completely.

The daeva's victims began stirring to life. Sailor Saturn was the next one to stand, and she walked over to Sailor Neptune, who was pulling herself into a sitting position. Saturn extended her hand, still speaking with the voice of her older side. "Your protectiveness will endanger all of us. Even if the danger is greater, no one Senshi is worth more than the others. I trust all of you to keep me safe, just as I hope you trust me to keep you safe." Neptune looked down, her face dark. "Michiru-mama..." Saturn said, her voice slipping towards it's normal tone once again. "I love you. But I need to fight, just as much as you do. You can't ask me to stay behind."

"I know...and I'm sorry..." Neptune's face seemed to crumple, and Sailor Saturn was there in an instant, holding her close. "I'm sorry Rei-chan..." Neptune sobbed.

"Rei?" Pluto asked sharply, looking down at Neptune. "What happened?"

"We'll explain on the way." Venus said, letting Sailor Moon help her to her feet. "Is Chibi-Usa alright?" Venus asked Saturn, who nodded, looking worried. "Good, we'll pick her up. We need to go to the hospital."

"So Rei is..." Uranus started.

"Alive." Venus nodded, her face hard and worried. "But she was hurt really badly." Neptune's sobs redoubled as Uranus helped her to her feet.

-------------------

In the waiting room, things were tense. So tense that the others who had been sitting there all decided to leave for other haunts, leaving just Ami, Makoto and Mamoru. Mamoru was leaning against the wall next to the operating room doors, eyes closed. The only outward sign of strain were his knuckles, which were white as his fists hung at his sides.

Ami was in a chair, her fingers drumming the arms as she continued looking from the clock, to the doors, to Makoto. Makoto herself was pacing a wide circle through the room, clenching and unclenching her fists, slamming her fists together and muttering to herself the whole time. It was the muttering, along with the murderous expression, that had gone the furthest towards driving everyone else out of the room.

Finally, finally, the door opened and Ami's mother stepped out, dressed in scrubs and drying her hands. Everyone rushed towards her. "Is she okay?" Makoto asked desperately.

Dr. Mizuno nodded, looking sober. "She'll be okay, but she's going to need a lot of rest." She looked around. "You say you found her near the area that the police have sealed off?" Ami nodded a little. "That explains a lot...though something different seems to have happened to all those people. A nurse just told me that they're all coming to, but their symptoms don't seem anything like's Rei's."

"What do you mean, Dr. Mizuno?" Mamoru asked. "I thought she just had a stab wound."

"That's what I thought at first as well...but the wound didn't seem to want to close. We had to put in many, many more stitches than I thought advisable at first to stop the bleeding. And then we noticed that she seems to have suffered a severe electric shock, or something close to it. There's some nerve damage. Nothing irreparable." She said quickly, holding up her hand at everyone's shocked expression. "And besides..." She cast a sidelong look at Ami, who looked intensely uncomfortable. "Something tells me she'll be a fast healer."

"Could whatever she was stabbed with have been electrified?" Mamoru asked. Dr. Mizuno shook her head. "No...that would have cauterized the wound, at least a little. But I can't find out where the shock would have come from...so I think something happened that was a shock to her nervous system, but it was different than actual electricity."

"Can we see her?" Makoto asked quickly.

"In a few minutes." Ami's mother poked her head back into the operating room an beckoned. An orderly emerged. "He'll take you to a closer waiting room, and tell you where she is when she's ready." The three of them left, and Ami began to breathe a sigh of relief when her mother called her back. "You go on ahead, but I'd like to talk to Ami for a second." Ami stood in front of her mother, who just looked at her carefully for a long moment.

"Are you okay?" She finally said.

"Me?" Ami blinked. "Um...I'm fine, Mom. Really. I guess I'm a little shaken up, finding Rei like that, though."

"Hm." Dr. Mizuno made a noncommittal noise. "Found her...so you don't really know what happened to her?" She asked, looking piercingly at her daughter.

"I have no idea." Ami answered, absolutely truthfully. She felt her gut twist slightly at the lie of omission, however.

"Hm." Ami's mother said again. She was silent again, and Ami fought off the urge to twitch nervously. "Do you trust me, Ami-chan?"

This was not a question Ami had been expecting, and it made her fumble. "Do I...trust you?" She bit her lip. "Of course I do Mom. I trust you."

"Do you?" Ami's mother gave her that piercing look again. "I'm starting to wonder...I feel like there are whole sections of your life that I know nothing about. I know...I know you're not a child now, and that you won't share everything with me. It hurts, but I know it." Ami had no way to respond to that, so she didn't try.

"But I want to be part of your life, Ami-chan, if you'd let me. You're my daughter, and no matter what you had to tell me, I really hope that you do trust me enough to know that it would be okay. So I can wait. Because I trust you, Ami-chan. Enough to believe that if you're keeping me out, there's a good reason." Dr. Mizuno gave Ami a hug and a smile and went back into the operating room, leaving Ami alone.

Ami's feet automatically took her to the door, where she followed the distant forms of her friends as they followed the orderly down the long corridor. Her mother had just given her a lot to think about, and she was too stressed to handle it at the moment. She wished that Minako was with her, and hoped she was okay, although what her mother said did reassure her quite a bit. If people were recovering, it was a good sign that the Sailor Senshi had won.

Ami puffed out her cheeks and sighed. Minako didn't have the market cornered on wanting to keep things a secret for no good reason, it seemed. She wondered how much her mother already knew, and if it really was a good idea to tell her the rest. One thing was certain, though. She didn't have much time. When her mother decided she needed to know something, she found out. And quickly.

-AUTHOR'S NOTE: You know what's one of my favorite things about writing in a magical girl universe, especially Sailormoon? The minimal police presence that is just accepted. Cops are, at best, a minor inconvenience. I used to worry about the 'realism' of not having the cops show up when a city block's worth of citizenry is incapacitated, but then I re-watched the end of Sailormoon R, where a skyscraper-sized crystal formation appears in downtown Tokyo and the Senshi arrive without seeing a single police officer, let alone the military and media presence that would swarm such an event. Cops? What cops?

I don't own Sailormoon or any of the characters thereof. Any resemblance to actual events or people is purely coincidental or the result of a practical joke. Story void in Utah. If not completely satisfied with this story, please return unused portion for a full refund.


	19. Chapter 19

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 19

It was two days after her injury, and Rei was coming home. Mostly on the recommendations of Dr. Mizuno, the hospital had decided that she could rest at home as safely as she could at their facility. So while Yuuichirou and Grandpa Hino picked the miko up from the hospital, the Inner Senshi prepared a small celebration for their friend's homecoming.

"Oh wow Mako-chan!" Usagi said longingly from her position on a small wooden stool, helping Minako hang a banner. The brown-haired girl entered Rei's bedroom, followed by Ami and Chibi-Usa. All three were carrying large, covered trays and the smells rising from them were absolutely heavenly.

"That's great Mako-chan!" Minako said, trying to put the last bit of tape on the now-shaking banner. "Um...Usagi-chan?" The pigtailed girl was following the trays with her head, leaning over so that the stool was balanced on just two legs. "I don't think that's very..." The stool flew out from beneath Usagi's feet, sending her plummeting to the ground with a squeal. A moment later, the banner fluttered down over her prone body.

"Usagi-baka..." Chibi-Usa muttered, looking embarrassed as she set her tray down with the others on the table. She turned to leave, but found herself facing Ami, who was looking down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Um..." Ami smiled and her eyes flickered to Chibi-Usa's hand. With a sigh, Chibi-Usa blushed and replaced the cookie she had filched from her tray.

Makoto helped Usagi up and took her place on the stool. "Help Ami-chan get the food ready, okay?" She smiled at Usagi. "And Ami-chan..."

"I know, I will." Ami said with a wave and a smile. She, Chibi-Usa and Usagi began setting out the large, elaborate lunch Makoto had prepared, Ami constantly on the lookout for the other two's attempts to start early.

"You really went all out, didn't you Mako-chan?" Minako asked as she set her end of the banner in place once again.

"Yeah, I guess so." Makoto said with a small blush, turning her face away as she held the banner up. Minako turned to look at this rather odd reaction, but got distracted as she saw Ami setting out the various dishes Makoto had prepared, a small smile on the blue-haired girl's face. Minako blushed a little herself as she watched the other girl dreamily.

"Minako-chan..." Makoto's voice pulled her back to reality. "Do you want me to do my side first?" Minako blinked. She had allowed her end of the banner to droop until it was level with her waist. She blushed and hurriedly lifted it again.

"No time!" Chibi-Usa called out urgently, looking out the door. "They're here!" Minako and Makoto stared at each other helplessly, then both held the banner up as high as they could, grinning wildly and trying to look like this had been the plan all along.

"Welcome home...Rei...chan..." The initially exuberant welcome stuttered a bit as Rei came in, looking like a cocoon and in the middle of a blistering argument. "I asked you to bring something warm!" She shouted at her grnadfather. "Not empty out my closet!" Rei was wrapped in so many sweaters and jackets that it didn't look like she could move her arms.

"Dr. Mizuno said you had to keep warm!" The little old man shouted, bouncing up and down as he followed Rei inside.

"So you thought that meant mummifying me?" Rei waved her arms up and down as best as she could.

"He's just trying to help Rei-san." Yuuichirou said timidly from his position at the door.

Rei wheeled on him. "Don't YOU start too. It's bad enough that you both forced me into all of this! Don't even TRY to defend it!" The tirade would have continued, but Rei finally noticed that the room wasn't empty. "Oh, hi guys!" She said, smiling brightly and shoving Yuuichirou violently out of sight.

"Wow!" She gushed. "That banner is SO cute." She paused. "But wouldn't it have been better to just hang it up?"

"Well...yeah." Minako said with an embarrassed smile. "Why didn't we think of that, Mako-chan?" Makoto didn't answer. In fact, she looked more or less like she wanted to die. Rei sniffed the air.

"Oh Makoto! You made all this for me?" She said, staring at the lunch hungrily. "I LOVE you." She gushed, sitting by the table and beginning to eat. "All I've had is hospital food. Mmmmm, this is so good Mako-chan..." She paused, looking at Makoto who's face had gone completely crimson. "Are you okay?"

Makoto made a dash for the door. "I'm fine! Just need some air!" The door slid shut behind her.

Grandpa Hino picked up the falling end of the banner and walked it over to Minako, who was still on the stool. "Here you Minako-chan!" He said happily, standing directly underneath her and looking up. "This is a lovely...banner..." A tiny bit of drool appeared in the corner of his mouth.

"Ojii-chan..." Rei snarled, clenching her fist. A moment later, the door to Rei's room slid open again and Grandpa Hino came sailing out, landing in a thick drift of snow. "And don't come back!" Rei called before throwing the door closed again.

The firey miko returned to the table, stripping off the various layers of clothing she had been imprisoned in. "So, is anyone else coming?" She asked casually.

"Setsuna said she might come by with Hotaru, and Mamoru's on his way." Ami supplied.

"Mich...Haruka and Michiru can't make it?" Rei tried not to sound too disappointed.

The other four girls looked at one another uncomfortably. "Michiru..." Usagi started. "She kind of thinks it's her fault that you got hurt."

"What?" Rei exclaimed, standing so quickly she almost tipped the table over. "That's crazy! I..." She paused, taking a deep breath and sitting back down. "I'll talk to her."

Minako tapped her lower lip idly and glanced at the door. What had happened to Makoto? She really didn't look very well. -Well, she had spent who knows how long doing all of this cooking.- The blonde Senshi mused, biting a corner of something fried and delicious. -It's no wonder she needed a quick break.-

And, just a moment later, the door slid open and Makoto walked in again, smiling and flushed from the cold. "Hey guys, look who I found!" Mamoru, Setsuna and Hotaru stepped in, warming their hands.

The two Outer Senshi both gave Rei a warm hug, and Mamoru gave the dark-haired girl a gentle squeeze around the shoulders. It took several minutes, but eventually everyone got settled. Makoto, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa sat at the small table with Rei, Mamoru perched on the bed next to Usagi, who leaned against him as she browsed through one of Rei's mangas. Setsuna leaned next to the door, and Ami and Minako sat side by side against Rei's desk, hands clasped, unseen, between them.

"So Rei-chan...how are you feeling?" Makoto asked after several minutes of eating and chatting. The chatting trailed off as everyone turned their attention to Rei, who shrugged with a smile.

"I guess I'm feeling okay. The cut still doesn't seem to want to close on its own, so the stitches will probably have to stay in longer than usual. But it's healing pretty quick." She turned and smiled at Ami. "Tell your Mom I said thanks, by the way. The other doctors didn't want to let me out, but she talked them into it."

Ami forced a smile and nodded. She was still troubled by her mother's reaction to Rei's injury. She felt Minako give her hand a little squeeze, and returned the comforting smile that the blonde girl gave to her.

"So you feel okay otherwise?" Makoto pursued. Rei nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess...I mean, I don't feel bad. But I do feel...a little strange. Like something's changed, but I don't know what." She smiled ruefully. "It's probably nothing."

"Maybe not." Setsuna said, stepping away from the wall and peering intently at the Senshi of Fire. "I really didn't like that knife that Tachyon had. It felt very wrong to me, and when I blocked it there was a very strange energy reaction." She paused thoughtfully before speaking, in a gentle tone. "Rei-chan...if you don't mind, what happened when she attacked you?"

"I don't mind." Rei said, bristling a little at being babied. "She stabbed me, I don't have a problem with it other than that."

"Yeesh Rei-chan, she's trying not to hurt your feelings." Usagi said, not looking up from the manga she was reading.

"You can just stay out of it, Usagi-chan." Rei snapped. "Especially when you're so obviously more concerned with reading my mangas than anything else." She paused. "And you can stop leaning your face in so close to the pages when you're stuffing yourself. I don't want grease and drool all over it."

Usagi glared angrily at Rei and was ready with a retort, but a small cough from Setsuna brought both girls to a halt. "Oh..." Rei said, closing her eyes and coughing slightly. "Right." She continued to glare at the sullen Usagi out of the corner of her eye as she related the story of how she had found Tachyon in the collapsing building, leaving out, of course, her reasons for fleeing in the first place.

"...and I was going to carry her back to the rest of you, when I felt her moving in my arms. I looked down, and she was holding that knife. I tried to drop her and twist away, but it felt like I was moving in slow motion. She caught me in the shoulder, and I suddenly felt cold all over. That's when I blacked out, and I didn't wake up until I was in the hospital."

"So, she must have slowed down your passage through time, but not as much as she did with Haruka." Setsuna said thoughtfully. "Was it because you were touching her?" She shook her head. "Still, I think it would be a good idea to find out why you're feeling strange."

"But not now." Makoto said, assuming a protective posture. "She still needs to rest. It can wait a few days, right Rei-chan?"

Rei smiled a bit and nodded. "Sure." Setsuna looked a bit dissatisfied, but nodded as well. That out of the way, Rei began to take a few items from the desserts that Makoto had brought, lavishing praise on them while condemning all hospital food. Makoto just blushed softly and smiled in response.

-------------------

Haruka left the kitchen with a glass of milk, pausing as she caught sight of a rather miserable-looking Michiru still sitting at the dining room table. She hadn't moved since Setsuna had left with Hotaru, and that had been over an hour ago. Haruka sighed a bit and took the chair next to her lover, sipping her milk and looking blankly ahead just as Michiru was.

"No." She finally said, shaking her head. Michiru turned to look at her, and Haruka gave her a small, playful smile. "I really don't think that spot on the wall is going anywhere." Michiru smiled wanly before letting her eyes slide downwards and away.

Haruka took a long drink of milk. "You know, if you wanted to go, you really should have gone."

"I couldn't, and you know it." Michiru said softly.

"I know you think you couldn't. There's a difference." Michiru let out a long, sad sigh and leaned against the taller woman. Haruka shifted slightly in her seat and slid an arm around Michiru's waist.

"I feel so terrible." Michiru finally said.

"I know...you've been saying that for the last three days." Haruka said, kissing her briefly on the head.

"Do you mind?" Michiru said petulantly. "I'm trying to mope here." Haruka chuckled.

"I'm sorry, but I can generally only take you moping for a few days before I have to try to snap you out of it. Besides, I'm usually the one doing the brooding, right?

"You think I should have gone, don't you?"

Haruka smiled a bit. "Well, yes. This thing won't fix itself by you sitting around here being miserable. You need to talk to her. You know that." Haruka gently pulled Michiru closer and ran her free hand through the other woman's aqua hair. "You've already had a really long talk with Hotaru, and that went well, didn't it?"

"Well, it's different with Rei. You know that." Michiru sighed. "I knew how badly I could hurt her, and I didn't care. I was just too angry."

"True...but all the time you waste before you go talk to her is probably hurting her even more." Haruka tilted Michiru's face towards hers, and smiled once more. "Or are you just afraid that she won't see you as perfect anymore?"

Michiru blinked and looked a bit indignant. "That's ridiculous!"

"Oh, I don't know..." Haruka mused. "It's so flattering when a pretty girl sees you as the perfect woman. I mean, most of the women I've met think I'm perfect, and it's been pretty nice."

Michiru reached up and poked Haruka's nose pointedly. "Oh yes, and you're so very modest, too." She said sarcastically. Haruka just grinned.

"I know, it's a burden...ack!" She twitched violently, almost spilling her milk as Michiru jabbed her in the sides. Michiru sat up, pulling away from Haruka.

"You might actually have a point." She mused.

"Don't sound so surprised." Haruka grinned, and Michiru gently stroked her fingers over her cheek, smiling fondly.

"I just mean that it would be good for Rei to realize I made a terrible mistake, both with Hotaru and her."

Haruka turned her head to gently kiss Michiru's fingertips. "Will you tell her that you know?" Michiru shook her head.

"No...I don't see any reason for that. It would just embarrass her, and I've caused her enough distress for the time being, wouldn't you think?"

Haruka considered the question for a moment. "I suppose...but on one level I think she likes the whole tragic love thing. Rei can be pretty melodramatic if you give her the chance."

"Well, either way I'm not playing into that." Michiru said with a small laugh. "Feelings like hers will fade over time, especially when her fantasy meets the reality."

"True enough." Haruka murmured, drawing Michiru's face closer to her own. Michiru seemed to melt against her, and Haruka smiled softly. "Of course, if she got to know the reality like I do, we'd have a much more serious problem."

Michiru chuckled a little and pressed her lips to her lover's. Haruka smiled into the kiss. "I guess you're feeling better." She whispered.

"I guess I am."

-------------------

Ami and Minako stepped out into the cold evening, their breath steaming. Setsuna had left some time ago, being busy at the university, but the others were still there to keep Rei company for awhile. Ami had promised dinner with her mother that evening, and Minako had given a mumbled excuse to leave with her.

"I'm glad Rei's feeling better." Minako said brightly, stepping lightly down the shrine's long stairway.

"Me too." Ami said, sounding somewhat subdued. As Minako's feet hit the street below, she turned back to look at Ami, who had fallen behind several steps. The blue-haired girl was looking back at her girlfriend with a faintly sad expression on her face.

"Ami?" Minako asked, tilting her head slightly. "Is anything the matter?"

Ami didn't answer until she had reached the bottom of the steps as well. She gently took Minako's bare hand in her gloved ones, looking down at it as she warmed it gently. "It's silly." She said in a soft voice.

"Ami..." Minako said gently, using her free hand to brush back Ami's hair. "Really, what is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Ami let it out in a long, slow trail of steam. "I know today was about Rei, about welcoming her home. But..." She looked up a bit, just peeking up at Minako's face. "For some reason, I thought you might have decided it was time to tell the others about us."

Minako tried hard to keep her face expressionless but Ami obviously saw something. Ami's face turned up, looking fully at Minako now. There was concern there, Minako saw, concern and perhaps even a hint of exasperation. "Mina-chan, don't you want them to know?"

Minako gently extricated her hand and turned away, looking up at the sky. It would snow again soon. "Yes...I don't know." She sighed. "I guess so."

"You guess so?"

"Well..." Minako turned back to look at Ami. "I just don't see why it's so important to...I don't know...show off." That came out a lot more snappish than Minako had intended, and she flinched inwardly.

"Minako, this is not about 'showing off.'" Ami said, in a tone that showed she had caught Minako's inflection and hadn't liked it much. "This is about being honest with our friends...but do you know what it's really about?" She said, the building anger draining slowly out of her voice.

"What?" Minako asked cautiously. To her surprise, Ami stepped close and hugged her tightly around the waist, laying her head against Minako's shoulder. Tentatively, Minako returned the embrace.

"It's about not hiding our feelings for each other. I'm tired of pretending to just be friends when anyone's around. I'm tired..." Ami took a deep breath. "I'm tired of having to pretend I don't love you."

There was a long silence after that, broken only slightly by the whispering of the faintly sweet winter breeze. Minako gently stroked Ami's short hair, rocking the two of them back and forth slowly. "Well." She finally said in almost a whisper. "You really know how to end an argument." She chuckled softly and Ami looked up at her.

"You're right, Ami. And it's not fair that I've made you keep us a secret from the others for so long." She closed her eyes and sighed. "We'll tell them soon...tomorrow, if we can."

"You don't have to be scared Mina-chan." Ami said, gently tracing a finger over Minako's cheek. "They're our friends. And with Hotaru and Chibi-Usa, and Haruka and Michiru, nobody's really going to mind. You must know that."

"I know...that's not why..."

"Then what?" Ami asked. "I don't really understand."

"Neither do I." Minako smiled ruefully. Ami opened her mouth, but Minako just shook her head. "Not yet...I'm not ready to talk about it yet. I...there's still a lot I need to figure out on my own."

Ami squeezed the blonde girl a little. "I understand."

Minako smiled down at her lovingly. "I knew you would." She kissed Ami softly. "So...we'll tell the others." She hesitated. "But...I don't think everyone needs to know yet, do you? Like, our parents?"

Ami bit her lip, looking extremely uncomfortable. "No..." She said slowly. "No...I'm not ready for that, either. But I feel very bad keeping this from my mother. And also..." She hesitated.

"Also...?"

"She's starting to realize something's going on. And...I'm not sure if it's us being together, or...or my being a Sailor Senshi." Minako blinked several times.

"Really?" She asked, not entirely intelligently. Ami nodded a bit. "Wow...either way, that's huge. I...what do you want to do?"

Ami shrugged a bit. "I really don't know." She smiled a little sardonically. "I guess I need time to think about this on my own, too." She kissed Minako. "But I wanted you to know."

Minako returned the kiss, and the two girl's arms tightened around each other. A short time later, Minako released the other girl with a smile. "You should get going. Your Mom will be waiting."

Ami smiled back. "See you tomorrow, Mina-chan." She kissed Minako briefly on the cheek and headed off down the street. Minako smiled after her, bringing her hand up to touch her cheek where Ami had kissed it. Finally, she became aware of the cold once again and turned her feet towards home, pulling her jacket in tightly and shivering slightly. Except for her bedroom, all the windows of the house were darkened when Minako arrived. She unlocked the side door into the kitchen and kicked her shoes off, looking around at the dark, silent house. She passed into the living room without turning on the lights and sat in an armchair, curling up with her knees resting under her chin. She stared forward, the room very dimly illuminated by the street lights outside.

What was the problem? Why was she so hesitant about letting other people know about her and Ami? When Ami had asked her before, the phrase that had gone through the blonde Senshi's head had been unsettling. -Because then it would be real.- Real? What did that mean?

Minako puffed out her cheeks. If what she and Ami had now wasn't real to her, what did that make it? A dream...a fantasy. Something harmless that could drift away without really hurting her. But that was ridiculous. What she felt for Ami was as real as anything she'd ever felt in her life. And if it ended, it would hurt just as bad.

-But not really.- A soft voice spoke from her heart. -Be honest Minako...you're still holding back. If you weren't, you'd be as excited about telling everyone as Ami. Even more so, probably.-

But why?

-You're the only one who can answer that. You're also the only one who can change it. Do you want to?-

Yes, of course!

-But you're still too scared to try, isn't that true?-

Maybe...I'm not sure. I know I want things to be different. I want to love her without holding back.

-Then you have to let go of your fear, first.-

How?

But the voice fell silent. Minako closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Minako?" The voice right at her elbow made Minako jump.

"Artemis! Don't sneak up on me!"

"I heard the door open, but you never came upstairs." Minako lowered her legs, and Artemis jumped up into her lap, a warm, heavy lump that seemed to glow luminously in the darkness. "How's Rei?"

"A lot better. She'll have to keep the stitches in awhile, but everything's healing nicely. She still feels a little funny, but she says it's nothing important."

"She wouldn't." Artemis muttered, curling a bit tighter. "How come you're sitting here in the dark?"

"I just needed a little time to think." Minako replied. "Ami and I are going to tell the others about us soon. Maybe tomorrow."

"Well...that's good. Isn't it?"

"I guess so." She was quiet for a long moment. "Is there something wrong with me, Artemis?"

"What do you mean?" The lack of an immediate 'no' unnerved Minako slightly.

"I mean...I'm worried that I can't give Ami what she deserves. She's already told me that she loves me. But I couldn't say it back. Ami told me that she understood, but that doesn't really make it better. I know I feel for her that strongly...shouldn't I be able to admit it?"

Now it was Artemis' turn for silence. Finally he shifted slightly in Minako's lap. "I don't think there's something wrong with you in the way that you're worried about." He said. "You can love her, if you let yourself."

"How do you know?"

"I know who you are." The white cat said, and Minako could hear the smile in his voice. "Who you really are. And I know that you probably have the greatest capacity to love of any person on earth."

"And who am I?" Minako asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"You're Sailor Venus. You're the Princess of Venus. The Soldier of Love. That's more than just a title."

"I don't understand."

"You will." Artemis said. "It's like I've told you...you've been hurt. And you've been carrying that hurt along with you for so long that you've forgotten what it's like without it, so you don't really know how to let it go. And at the same time, you're afraid of adding to it."

"So what do I do?" Minako asked.

"You're really the only one who can figure that out." Artemis said, mimicking Minako's own internal dialogue. Minako puffed out her cheeks and let the breath out, dissatisfied. Artemis just chuckled. "Sorry." He hopped off Minako's lap. "I'm going back upstairs. Are you coming?"

"In a minute."

"Okay." He spoke again before he started climbing the steps. "Ami really loves you, Minako. And you love her. She's your best chance to leave the past behind." And he was gone.

Minako spent several more minutes staring into the darkness of her empty home. She had to figure it out on her own? Fine. She didn't know how, but she would. If not for herself, then for Ami. Ami loved her, and Minako would become able to return that love just as Ami deserved.

"I promise." Minako whispered into the shadows.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I don't really have a lot to say after this chapter. Now that I've found my stride once more, the story is flowing along a lot more steadily. The goal is still awhile away, but I can see the path. I hope it's not as obvious to all of you, though, or things will be really boring.

Sailormoon and all it's characters belong to their owners. All other characters belong to me. I'm making no profit from their use. This story is only to be taken ocularly. Do not use this story while operating heavy machinery.


	20. Chapter 20

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 20

The fierce blizzard whipped all around Sailor Venus, making her hair stream out behind her and forcing her to squint as she looked ahead. She stepped in front of Sailor Saturn as she helped Sailor Moon sit up, placing herself between them and the massive onyx figure that loomed over them. It stared at her with eyes like cold, dead stars.

"Where are we?" She suddenly wondered. "What's going on?"

-Does it matter?- A soft voice whispered in her mind. -You know what you have to do.-

The black giant was reaching out to her, and Venus suddenly found herself filled with fear and anger. "No!" She shouted. "You can't have them, and you can't have me either. Stay back!"

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

The golden light streaked towards its target, and the wind increased to a blinding tempo. Venus brought her arms up to shield her face from its bite, but lowered them just as quickly. The blizzard had stopped completely.

Without knowing how she got there, she was someplace else. An impossibly long, darkened corridor, it seemed to her, with numerous paths branching off in every direction. "Now where am I?" Venus asked, hoping that the voice would return. But as she asked, there was a massive rumbling and the ceiling above her began to crack apart.

She ran. This entire place, whatever it was, seemed to be breaking itself apart. She didn't have long until she was buried. She turned into one of the archways, but found herself in a corridor identical to the one she was just in. Sailor Venus continued to run, trying to escape the destruction she heard behind her.

Far, far off in the distance, a faint blue light appeared. Putting all she had left into it, she sprinted towards that light, her only sign that escape might be possible. It grew brighter and brighter as she drew closer, and she reached her hand out, sure she would find it's source in just a moment.

Without warning, Venus was pulled to a halt. Someone had appeared behind her and was holding her back in a grip of iron. She struggled, flailing with fists and feet as she tried to escape, but to no avail. There was a terrible crack from the ceiling directly above her, and she looked up to see a mass of broken stone falling...

"NO!" Minako gasped, bolting upright in bed with her arms raised to protect her head. She looked around, breathing heavily. Her room was dark. A glance at her alarm clock told her that it was not yet three in the morning.

"Minako?" Artemis muttered blearily from his position at the foot of her bed. "What's going on?"

"Oh...nothing Artemis." Minako whispered. "I just had a dream. Go back to sleep." Snores indicated that the cat had already done so. Minako laid her head upon her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. She placed her hand over her heart. It was still beating fast. The dream again...but it was a lot more vivid this time. It didn't feel at all like an ordinary dream.

Minako smiled a bit at herself and turned over on her side. Silly girl. Weird dreams were to be expected when she was stressed, and she certainly was stressed. Prophetic visions were the domain of Rei and Setsuna, and occasionally Mamoru. And if Tachyon could block Rei's visions and Setsuna's abilities, how could Minako be seeing the future?

Moments later, she was dreaming again, this time a far more pleasant dream that featured Ami quite heavily.

-------------------

The dawn's light crept through Rei's window, falling over Makoto's eyes and making her stir with a small groan. When she found she couldn't move enough to escape the irritating shine, she cracked her eyes open. The brunette girl felt a flash of surprise at finding herself slouched on a floor rather than at home in bed, but it passed quickly.

She smiled a bit as she heard the muffled snores directly above her. -That's right.- She thought silently. -I'm still at Rei's house.- Last night, after everyone else had gone, Usagi, Rei and herself had stayed until very late, watching Rei's impressive anime collection, talking and laughing far into the night.

A somewhat frantic call from Usagi's father sent her scurrying for home, leaving Makoto and Rei alone. At that point, Rei could barely keep her eyes open and Makoto was feeling rather wiped herself. Faced with the choice of staying there or taking the long, cold walk back to her apartment, she opted to stay.

She and Rei talked for a few minutes more, but Rei had soon fallen asleep, and Makoto had done the same without even realizing it. And now here she was. Her feet and hands were freezing, she was shivering and there was a horrible crick in her neck from sleeping slumped against Rei's bed all night. -Well,- she mused as she stretched out and tried to get some circulation back in her hands, -it's not all bad. And it's not like I haven't slept in worse positions.-

She sat up and faced the bed. There was Rei, her face the only part of her that was visible after burrowing down into the blankets. Makoto smiled softly at the sight. Even around her closest friends, there was sort of an edge to Rei's features, a sign of her sharp tongue and wicked temper. Asleep, however, she was completely relaxed. Makoto thought she looked very serene and elegant in her sleep.

As she watched, Rei stirred restlessly and clenched her eyelids shut before cracking them open. "Mako-chan?" She muttered blearily. "Are you still here? Go and feed the owl, the party's starting in an hour." Without waiting for an answer, Rei turned around, hunching down under her blankets and yanking a pillow over her face with a loud snore. Makoto rolled back onto the floor and pressed her hands against her lips, shaking with gales of soundless laughter.

When she had recovered from her giggling fit, the brunette girl stood and began walking around the room silently, so as to not wake Rei. She was fully awake now, and stood little chance of getting back to sleep again, even if there had been a bed available.

Makoto sat at Rei's desk very gingerly, to avoid making the chair squeak. Unable to help herself, she began poking through the drawers, reasoning that she was unlikely to see anything really secret...it wasn't her dresser, after all. The first drawer contained paper, pens and a calligraphy kit. Makoto took out one of the practice sheets and held it up to the light. As expected, Rei was quite good.

The top item in the second drawer was a framed photograph of a beautiful, dark haired woman who looked hauntingly like Rei. "Her mother." Makoto whispered, and felt a familiar pang in her chest as she looked from the picture to the slumbering girl.

Though she'd never told anybody, Makoto had always felt that a certain bond existed between Rei and herself. Both of them knew what it was like to cope with the death of a parent. Rei was probably the only one of the Sailor Senshi who could understand that sense of loss and fear when the pillars that support a child's entire life are suddenly and violently torn away.

Despite that, they'd never really spoken about it. It just...wasn't the sort of thing they would discuss with one another. Makoto traced a fingernail around the smiling woman's face, wondering how often Rei looked at this picture. And if it ever made her cry, the way Makoto's few pictures of her parents still did sometimes.

Makoto slipped the photo back into place and closed the drawer. She turned in the chair, facing the sleeping Rei with her arms crossed over her chest. She had a lot of stormy emotions towards the Senshi of Fire, and she was struggling to work them out.

One of the things Makoto longed for more than anything in the world was to be in love, to find that one person that she could share her life with. She'd always sort of assumed it would be a guy...but she knew it could be another girl, as well. She smiled with a small blush as she remembered her intense, though thankfully short, crush on Haruka.

So she could be in love with Rei, she had to admit that. But was she, really? She shook her head irritably. No, the real question was, was it even worth thinking about? Probably not. She rested her chin in her palm, her fingers tapping against her lips.

No...her feelings were probably just a little skewed by recent events. Ami and Minako's growing romance had really sparked the idea of falling for another Senshi in Makoto's heart. And then finding out that Rei was in love with Michiru...well, Makoto would be lying if she said that her heart hadn't skipped a beat when she realized Rei liked girls.

But really...that didn't do a lot to increase Makoto's chances with Rei. Rei knew it was a hopeless cause, but until she was ready to move on, her heart was occupied. And Makoto had matured just a little too much to like the idea of trying to snatch Rei up while she was on the rebound.

The Senshi of Thunder stood up quietly, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. That's right...it was really best that this stopped here, before it had a chance to develop into anything that would cause problems. She made her way to the door and pulled on her shoes and coat. As Makoto slid the door open, she glanced back at Rei, smiling sadly as she watched the girl curl tighter beneath her sheets in response to the cold draft that wafted in.

"It's better this way." She said to herself, turning away. And though there wasn't a sound as the door behind her slid shut, she could almost hear something slamming closed, deep inside herself.

-------------------

Tachyon wove through the black stalagmites that dotted Lady Meson's control chamber, her violet hair gleaming in the ghastly white light emitted by the ceiling and floor. She was humming under her breath, an eager smile on her face as she danced through the wide cavern.

In the center of the chamber Meson herself waited patiently, her arms crossed over her chest. Hadron was sending a contingent from the capital world, and though she was not looking forward to enduring such company, she was ready to meet it. Tachyon was here because she had made a request of Lord Hadron, and what she had requested would be coming through the portal as well.

The three largest pillars of stone began to pulse with a sullen red light. Sparks of crimson light flared from the tips of each, flashing out into lines of red energy that formed a triangle in the air. Red light filled the area between the stalagmites, creating a solid crimson field. Vague dark forms began to take shape within that light.

"They're here, they're here!" Tachyon sang excitedly, dashing over to stand at Meson's side, bouncing up and down. Meson said nothing, just gazing at the opening portal with a bland expression on her dusky features. There were three figures within the red light, and as they stepped out of it they took solid shape, three ominous figures, wrapped closely in black, hooded robes.

The center one, so stooped that it looked bent almost double, stepped forward. Meson did not bother to hide the sneer of distaste that appeared on her face. "Lady Meson." The voice that come out of the hood was harsh and croaking. "Lord Hadron sends his greetings."

"I see." Meson said disdainfully. Hadron knew her feelings towards his Black Cultists, his personal cadre of sorcerers. They were fanatics all, zealots culled from across his entire empire who worshipped Hadron as a god. Though Meson couldn't question their unswerving loyalty or dispute their usefulness, she simply found them intensely unpleasant to be around.

"Where are they?" Tachyon called out impatiently, stomping one tiny foot and looking expectantly at the portal. The lead Cultist turned from Meson and bowed to Tachyon, its head almost touching the ground due to its twisted posture.

"They are coming Lady Tachyon." The daeva croaked. "Two more of our number are transporting them and keeping them locked in stasis." It's hood turned back to Meson. "You will be able to keep them safely until they are to be used?"

Meson waved a hand dismissively. "Tachyon will see to their keeping in her own dwelling here." Meson was glad for the fact that Tachyon, like Gluon, had found a base of operations outside of this series of caves. The creatures she had asked for would more than likely prove very disruptive to the daeva being housed here.

"Ah." At that moment, forms appeared in the portal once again. Two more Cultists emerged, flanking a darkened sphere of fiery orange. Hovering within the sphere were four small figures that appeared to be struggling to escape.

"My Furies!" Tachyon moaned eagerly and ran forward, pressing her hands against the sphere and peering inside. She giggled wildly and waved to the creatures imprisoned within. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun." She murmured soothingly. "Let's go!" She said to the two daeva controlling the sphere. The Cultists turned their hoods to the leader.

"Go...follow Lady Tachyon and see to the Furies' containment, then find us again." The twisted figure turned its hood upward to observe Meson. "Lady, you have found a suitable location to perform the final spells of the ritual?"

"Of course." Meson said shortly. "I will send for a daeva who will show you the way."

"Lord Hadron is most eager to begin preparations immediately." The Cultist croaked disapprovingly. "It would be better if you brought us to this place at once..." Its voice cut off in a gasp. Quicker than thought Meson had seized the front of its robes and spun around, lifting it off the floor and hurling it into a stalagmite. It coughed and spluttered, trying to catch its breath, but fell completely silent as a long, black blade suddenly appeared against its neck.

The broad blade had extended from the top of Mesons wrist and over her hand, allowing her to feel the vibration of the Cultist's pulse traveling up the weapon as she held the flat of it against the thing's neck. She smiled in satisfaction. "You will never give me anything that sounds even vaguely like an order." She said softly. "Only Hadron can direct me. While you are here, you are my servant. And you will wait on my convenience."

"I do not fear death or you, Meson." The Cultist croaked defiantly. "I serve Hadron faithfully."

"How commendable of you." With a curled lip, she turned the blade and swept it right through black-clad neck of the daeva. Its head tumbled out of the hood and into its lap, and Meson used its robe to wipe the yellowish ichor from her blade before retracting it back into her sleeve. She stood straight once again. The chamber was silent, save for Tachyon's soft giggles. The Furies within the orb were moving violently in response to the blood that had been spilled, and their keepers were having trouble keeping it steady.

"You." Meson pointed at one of the free Cultists. "Help them." Without a word the Black Cultist aided his companions in keeping the Furies under control. Meson regarded the other robed figure. "Can you begin the preparations alone?"

"Yes, Lady Meson." This one's voice was deep, almost musical.

"Then go. There is a daeva outside who will lead you to the place I selected. And tell him to summon another to clean this place."

"Yes, Lady Meson." He left, and a moment later so did the others, following Tachyon. The red light of the portal faded completely away, and Meson vanished into the deeper recesses of the cavern, leaving the headless daeva to sit alone.

-------------------

ATTENTION

We interrupt your regularly scheduled fanfic for an educational moment with LEAVE IT TO MERCURY!

Dressed once again in lab coats, Mercury and Venus step out in front of a blackboard. Venus huddles behind Mercury, who adjusts her glasses with an embarrassed look.

Venus: Meson is scary! (she shudders)

Mercury: She's sure not very nice. But, that's not why we're here! We're here to talk about the cave.

Venus: The cave?

Mercury: That's right! (she quickly draws a sketch of a rather toothy cave on the board) These are the most common cave formations most people ever see. They're called stalactites and stalagmites.

Venus: (lifts her hand) I've seen those! (she scratches her head) Where do they come from?

Mercury: Good question! They're actually made from drips! You see, when there's place in the cave where water is allowed to drip down, each drop leaves a tiny little mineral particle behind on the ceiling where it falls from and the floor where it lands. Over time, they form these pillars of stone.

Venus: Wow, that must take a long time! Mercury: That's right! Thousands and thousands of years sometimes. The worlds biggest stalactite is in Nerja, Spain and is over 63 meters long!

Venus: I can't ever remember which one is which.

Mercury: Oh, that's easy! StalaCTITES have to hold TIGHT to the ceiling, or they'll fall. StalaGMITES MIGHT hang from the ceiling, but they don't.

Mercury: (bows politely) That's it for now! Thank you for tuning in. We now return to the story.

Venus: (Jumps up and tries to yank Mercury off camera)

Mercury: What are you doing?

Venus: We're supposed to be mussed up for the next scene, remember? We need to hurry if we're going to get nice and mussy.

Mercury: (blushes and lets Venus pull her away)

-------------------

Ami was sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading a book. Minako's head was in her lap, her eyes closed as she smiled up at the blue-haired girl. Every so often Ami's hand would slip down to caress Minako's cheek, and Minako would open her eyes and look fondly at Ami.

Auruptly, Ami's stomach growled loudly. Minako opened her eyes with a giggle. "Wow." She said. Ami blushed and closed her book, looking down.

"I woke up too late for breakfast this morning." She said with a chuckle.

"Now see...I would have stayed for breakfast anyway." Ami poked the blonde Senshi's nose and Minako squeaked playfully.

"That's why you're late so often." Minako shrugged carelessly.

"'Breakfast is the golden pillar of the day.'" She quipped. Ami blinked and was about to say something when her stomach growled again. Minako laughed and sat up facing her. "You want to go get something to eat? We could head to the Crown Parlor and get some ice cream."

"That sounds good." Ami smiled and nodded, swinging her feet over the side of her bed. She blinked as Minako handed her a tube of lip balm.

"Your lips are chapped." Minako said teasingly. Ami smiled and took the tube.

"Well you're just lucky you always wear your hair down." She said, reaching over and pushing Minako's hair back to look at her handiwork. "That's a good one this time." She murmured. Minako blushed and clapped her hand to her neck.

"If you keep doing that you're gonna give me a permanent mark." She said, sticking her tongue out.

"Okay, I'll stop." Ami said easily, handing the balm back to Minako, who grinned.

"Now I didn't say that, did I?" Ami laughed softly and leaned over to brush her lips against Minako's before standing. A few minutes later found them on the street below, heading to Crown. They walked apart, and though Minako's hand itched to touch Ami's, she resisted the urge. -Soon.- She kept telling herself. -Soon.-

They passed the doors to the arcade, waving at Motoki as they passed by on the way to the stairs to the parlor above. As they passed the windows of the arcade, however, something inside caught Minako's eye, and she stopped, looking inside. Ami paused and looked back. "Mina-chan?"

A small pink flush and a smile had formed on Minako's face. "That would be too cute..." She felt around in her purse for change and nodded. She turned back to Ami. "Go on ahead...I'll be right up!"

"What's up?" Ami asked curiously, walking back to look inside as well. Minako pushed herself against the window and spread her arms out, blocking her girlfriend's view. "Oh no...it's a surprise!" She winked and Ami smiled softly and nodded.

"Okay, but don't be too long." She went upstairs and Minako dashed inside to the crane machine, quickly becoming so engrossed that she failed to notice the five familiar figures that passed by the window on the way up to the parlor.

-------------------

Unazuki wasn't working that afternoon, so Ami just found an empty booth and took a seat, passing an order for a large sundae to a waiter as he walked by. She rested her cheek in her palm and tapped the napkin holder with a straw, hoping that Minako would come up quickly.

"Ami-chan!" The chirpy voice came from behind her and she was half-turned in her seat before she realized it wasn't Minako.

"Oh...hi Usagi-chan!" She tried to smile as she saw the pigtailed girl bounce towards her followed by Makoto, Rei, Mamoru and Chibi-Usa.

"Are you here by yourself?" Chibi-Usa asked, approaching the table.

"Um...yes, I just..."

At that moment the waiter returned with a massive chocolate sundae. "Here you go miss!"

"Thank you." She smiled at the departing waiter through clenched teeth.

"You're going to eat that by yourself?" Makoto asked incredulously. "I don't even think Usagi could do that!"

"Yeah, I couldn't even...hey wait!" Usagi stuck her tongue out at Makoto.

Ami managed to recover from her stumble. "I...was going to say, I just left Minako downstairs. She'll be up in a minute." -And then God help us all...- She added mentally, casting a pleading glance at Mamoru, who smiled understandingly.

He touched Usagi's sleeve lightly. "Usako, let's go get a table on the other side..." Mamoru put a hand to the side of his head with a rueful look. "I've got a headache and I want to stay out of the sunlight."

Usagi promptly melted a little bit and gently reached up to stroke Mamoru's brow. "Oh, Mamo-chan...you should have said you weren't feeling well!" She and Chibi-Usa began to fawn over him at the same time, while he shrugged helplessly at Ami. Makoto and Rei, meanwhile, had been grinning ever since Ami had mentioned that Minako was there, and it was getting under her skin.

"Shouldn't you still be in bed?" She asked Rei pointedly.

Rei's face darkened. "Staying in bed was making me sick...as long as I don't try to push or lift anything, I'm fine. The only thing I've done today that hurt was knocking Yuuichirou out of the way so I could get out of there."

"I see..." Ami glanced over at the door, now praying that Minako would take her time. She was afraid that the blonde Senshi of Love would not react well to this sudden intrusion.

-------------------

"Oh come on you stupid cheating thing!" Minako snapped, kicking the crane game irritably. One of her prizes already sat next to the control panel, and she was swiftly running out of change trying to get the second.

She kissed her second to last coin and put it into the machine. To her delight, her target lifted into the air, and she hunched over the joystick, whispering desperately. "That's it, come on, come on...good machine, I didn't mean it, you're not stupid. Please, please...YES!"

She eagerly snatched up both her prizes and darted upstairs to the cafe. She skidded to a halt in the doorway as she saw the crowd gathered around Ami's table, however. But before she could dart out of sight, Chibi-Usa was waving at her. "Hi, Minako-chan!"

She forced a smile and held one hand behind her back as she waved, hiding the prizes she had just won. -Oh great...now what?- She thought desperately as she slowly approached the throng. "Hi guys!" She smiled brightly. "How's it going?"

"Oh we're fine." Makoto said with a sly smile. "What kept you so long?" Minako waved dismissively.

"Oh...I just saw..." She stopped, looking at Ami's face. She was smiling, but there was a sad sort of look growing in her eyes. That look made the lie she was planning to tell wither and die on her tongue.

It was one of those tense, frozen moments that seemed to drag on forever. Minako's hands began to tremble and her heart climbed up her throat as her thoughts began to war upon themselves. She looked at Mamoru, who was sitting in the next booth and looking a little embarrassed as Usagi massaged his temples for some reason. She felt a sudden stab of longing for the freedom they had to display their feelings so openly. She saw Makoto and Rei trying unsuccessfully to hide a knowing grin, and flushed with sudden irritation. Finally, she looked back at Ami and saw once again the sadness in her eyes. And there was...nervousness there, as well.

The blonde girl's hand tightened around the toys she held behind her back. Anger at her own stupidity rose up to choke her. Was she really so bad about the whole thing that Ami was afraid to see what would happen if she was confronted like this? And hadn't she promised? What was the matter with her? WHAT WAS HOLDING HER BACK?

Nothing.

"I just saw something I wanted..." She said, trying to stop her voice from shaking as she reached back with her freehand and pulled out a cute little Sailor V plush.

"Oh that's CUTE." Chibi-Usa gushed. "Are you going to put it with your other Sailor V stuff?"

"A...actually..." She held out her other hand, revealing a Sailor Mercury plush. She walked closer to Ami, who looked up at her with a surprised, almost disbelieving look. "This one's mine...I thought you might want this one..." She set the Sailor V plush on the table in front of the blue haired girl, who slowly closed her hands around it.

Without another word, Minako bent over the table and pressed her lips to Ami's. Ami stiffened in shock for just a moment, but quickly returned the kiss. Minako pulled her head back a bit and opened her eyes, a little surprised to see a tear sliding down Ami's smiling face. "Thank you." She whispered.

Minako just smiled fondly and winked in response before straightening up. The area directly around the two of them had suddenly become very, very quiet.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, the first of the new batch! My New Year's Resolution begins! I hope nobody minds the Omake, but I thought the scene transition needed a little softening. The 20th chapter...for me, that's quite a milestone! I'm just sorry I had so many false starts finishing this one. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Sailormoon and all it's characters belong to their owners. All other characters belong to me. I'm making no profit from their use. So don't sue me...I have NOTHING.


	21. Chapter 21

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 21

Ami felt Minako's hand land lightly on her shoulder as she stood up to face the others. Ami noticed that her hand was quite cold and trembling somewhat. She placed her own hand over it, and Minako's tightened slightly on her shoulder in response. Though the sounds of the cafe continued to buzz in the background, silence still reigned in the immediate area.

Everyone was staring at the two of them. Ami's stomach began tying itself in knots, wondering if this had been a terrible mistake after all. Just as she was considering grabbing Minako's arm and fleeing the building, however, Rei and Makoto broke out into cheers. Mamoru just smiled, and Usagi and Chibi-Usa fell back into opposite sides of a booth in perfect synchronicity with identically stunned expressions. "You guys are...together?" They asked at precisely the same time.

Ami felt her cheeks growing hot and looking to the side, she saw that Minako was blushing deeply as well. She looked down at the Sailor V plush she was still holding tightly against her stomach. "Well...yes, we are." She finally said in a small voice.

"So...the two of you...like Haruka and Michiru?" Usagi spluttered.

"No, they're straight. They just like to kiss." Rei said sarcastically, blushing a little as Mamoru gave her a chiding look.

"I know it's a lot to process, but it doesn't make much of a difference, does it Usako?" Mamoru asked in a soft voice.

"Huh? Oh...no, of course not!" Usagi actually sounded a little indignant at the question and bounced up on her feet immediately. She threw her arms around Ami and Minako, who both blushed deeply. "If you guys are happy, that's the only important thing! You're still my best friends!" She said firmly, stepping backwards.

"Thanks Usagi-chan." Minako said, her voice gaining a little of it's usual flipness. "That means a...would you two STOP that!" She turned to Makoto and Rei, who were still grinning like maniacs. The two looked at each other, then back at Minako.

"Sorry Minako-chan." Makoto said with a shrug, her face still frozen in a grin. "It's just that...well..."

"We sort of knew." Rei finished, sounding smug. "We had a pretty good idea anyway."

"Really?" Ami asked absently, looking down at her new plush and stroking its goggles with a fingertip. "You've both been so subtle I never noticed."

Rei and Makoto both exchanged an embarrassed look and blushed. Makoto laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry Ami-chan." She said in a self-effacing tone.

Ami chuckled. "It's fine, Mako-chan."

"Yeah Mako-chan." Minako chimed in, tossing her arms around Ami's neck from behind and leaning her head against her girlfriend's. "You two just kept us on our toes."

A warm rush spread through Ami's chest as she felt Minako's embrace. As Minako slid away, Ami caught her hand and slid back into the booth, pulling the blonde girl down into the seat next to her. Rei and Makoto sat across from the two of them, and Usagi went to take a seat next to Mamoru in the booth across the aisle. Chibi-Usa, who was strangely silent, stayed where she was, looking down at her fingers as she appeared lost in thought.

"So are you guys in love?" Rei asked, leaning over the table with an avid expression on her face. Ami blushed deeply and saw that Minako was doing the same.

"Um...well..." Minako fumbled, and Ami jumped in to rescue her.

"We haven't really been together for very long yet." She said softly, squeezing Minako's hand gently under the table. "It's a little early to say yet." She smiled as she turned towards Minako. "But she makes me very happy."

Ami's toes curled in pleasure as she saw the tender expression in Minako's eyes. "You make me happy too." She replied softly, her hand coming up to stroke Ami's cheek as if they were the only two people in the world.

"Oh, that's so sweet." Usagi cooed, leaning against Mamoru's shoulder. "Why did you two keep everything so secret though? You must have known we wouldn't mind."

Minako chuckled. "Maybe...but knowing and believing are two different things, you know? Besides, we wanted to sort things out for ourselves before we involved anyone else. 'An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of perspiration,' right?" She nodded wisely.

"Um...that doesn't really apply here, Mina-chan." Ami said, leaning in for a quick kiss on the cheek. "But it's really cute."

Minako laughed. "Then it works anyway, right?" She winked.

There was a short lull in the conversation then, and Mamoru took the opportunity to stand up. "We should probably go." He said, smiling knowingly at Ami and Minako. "Seven's a crowd on dates, you know?"

"Right Mamo-chan!" Usagi said, bouncing lightly to her feet. Suddenly she paused, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You sure didn't seem very surprised, Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru blinked. "Um...what do you mean, Usako?" He smiled uncertainly.

"You knew!" The pigtailed girl gasped, pointing an accusatory finger. "You knew!"

"Usako! It was their business, I couldn't tell anyone!" Mamoru protested, holding his hands up and looking around at the other disinterested patrons of the parlor.

"We're not supposed to have secrets from each other Mamoru!" Usagi said. "Why couldn't you tell me? Aren't I good at keeping secrets?"

That was too much even for Mamoru, and his mouth simply opened and closed wordlessly. "Mamo-chan!" Usagi wailed, and he immediately made a hasty retreat, his distraught lover on his heels.

After sharing a nice long laugh Rei and Makoto made a much more dignified exit, leaving the other two alone. Almost.

Chibi-Usa slid out of her booth and walked over to Ami and Minako's. She just stood there, fidgeting nervously. "You can sit down if you want, Chibi-Usa." Minako said with a smile. The small girl nodded and slid into the booth opposite the other two.

"Is it...really okay?" She finally blurted. "Liking other girls, I mean."

The older girls blinked in surprise and looked at each other, then back at Chibi-Usa. "Why would you ask that?" Ami asked, tilting her head quizzically.

Chibi-Usa bit her lip. "Well...okay, I know we think it's okay, because of Haruka and Michiru, right? And Hotaru's always saying there isn't anything wrong with it, but you know...they're her parents." She trailed off then, and Ami looked over at Minako, who smiled sympathetically.

"Did somebody tell you it wasn't okay?" Minako asked gently.

"Well, not exactly..." Chibi-Usa said sadly. "But...there's a girl a couple of years ahead of me at school and...a lot of the other girls aren't very nice to her."

Ami puffed out her cheeks and sighed. "Well, Chibi-Usa...it's true, a lot of people have a problem with homosexuality. But people not liking something doesn't make it wrong."

"Especially in middle school." Minako chuckled.

"Right...I got plenty of grief in middle school just for being smart." Ami smiled and Minako gave her hand a squeeze.

"You care a lot about Hotaru, don't you?" Minako asked, and smiled at the blush that appeared on the pink haired girl's cheek. "You care about her and you want to stay with her, right?" Chibi-Usa nodded. "Then you should just do what your heart tells you...I know you're brave enough to take anything a bunch of people you don't really care about throw at you."

"They'll throw things at me?" Chibi-Usa asked fearfully. Ami giggled and Minako groaned and rested her forehead in her hands.

"You're really Usagi's kid sometimes, Chibi-Usa." Minako said. "It's just a figure of speech."

"Anyway, Chibi-Usa...you'll always have us, and all of us think that you and Hotaru make the most adorable couple we've ever seen." Ami said with a sweet smile. "After all...Hotaru doesn't go school with you, so nobody really has to know if you don't want them to. As long as you're honest with the people you care about, that's enough."

Minako blushed a little and nodded. "Right."

Chibi-Usa smiled happily. "Thanks guys...you're the best." Impulsively, the pink-haired girl leaned over the table and gave each of the others a quick hug. She hopped lightly out of the booth. "I'm going to Hotaru's right now." She said, a cute little flush in her cheeks.

"Have fun." Ami chuckled.

"But not too much...Haruka has really good ears." Minako cautioned with a playful wink, and Chibi-Usa blushed deeply as Ami poked her girlfriend in the shoulder.

"Mina-chan!" Minako just laughed, and Chibi-Usa left with a wave.

"She's so fun to tease." Minako grinned, taking a bite of the rather melted sundae.

Ami just looked at the blonde girl, the warm glow deep within her bringing a wide smile to her face. "Mina-chan...thank you. That...really meant a lot to me."

Minako reached out and took Ami's hand into her lap, gently stroking it with her thumb. "It meant a lot to me too, Ami." She smiled, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Letting the others know about us...it felt good. It felt right."

"I'm glad." Ami brought Minako's hand to her lips and kissed it lightly. "But that's not all..." She paused for a moment, and Minako waited patiently. It was often difficult for the blue haired girl to put her emotions into words, and it made Ami happy to know that her love understood that.

"I know this is really hard for you." She finally said. "And knowing that you're trying...that's what means the most. It..." She smiled shyly. "It makes me feel really...special."

"Ami..." Minako leaned over, resting her forehead against Ami's and rubbing the tip of her nose lightly against her girlfriend's. "You are special." She whispered, her eyes closed. "You're wonderful. You...make me feel things I was afraid I couldn't. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." She sat back once again, with a playful wink. "It just might take me a little while."

The Senshi of Ice was left utterly defenseless. The warm glow she had felt before had swelled until she was almost giddy. She looked down at the liquid sundae and finally reached out with tingling fingertips and took the cherry, plucking it lightly off the stem with her lips. "You know..." She finally said softly, looking at Minako with a shy smile and smoldering eyes. "The ice cream's pretty much melted now...and I still need to thank you properly for the doll...and everything else."

Minako actually blushed a little at that look, a smile spreading across her face as she nodded. "I guess we should probably study a little bit today." She said teasingly.

"Maybe...eventually." Both girls started to laugh.

-------------------

Michiru stepped out of the boutique, holding a rather hefty bag. Setsuna joined her on the street a moment later, holding a much smaller bag. "You were right." The Senshi of the Sea smiled at the taller woman. "I do feel quite a bit better."

"I had a feeling you would." Setsuna smiled a little.

"I really love this dress..." Michiru murmured, looking into the bag. "And I can't believe I found shoes for it as well."

"And Haruka should be very appreciative of the other accessories you got for it." Setsuna said with a gently teasing smile. Michiru snapped the bag closed and held it to her chest.

"Setsuna!" Setsuna just closed her eyes and chuckled softly. After a moment, Michiru relaxed and laughed along. "I see you're feeling a little better too."

"Yes." Setsuna nodded. "As long as I stay busy, I can keep myself from obsessing." After having come face to face with the source of her inability to detect the enemy on the timeline, the Guardian of Time had found herself increasingly consumed with finding a way to counteract Tachyon's abilities. She had finally compelled the still-moping Michiru to come shopping with her, both to cheer Michiru up and distract Setsuna herself.

As they continued on down the street, Makoto and Rei came around the corner ahead. As she saw the nervous look Rei gave her, and the careful way the injured girl carried herself, Michiru felt her gut twist with guilt. And when Makoto cast her an angry glare, then turned to have a whispered conversation with the dark-haired miko, Michiru winced. She turned to look at Setsuna, who was looking back at her with a gentle, questioning expression.

Michiru forced a small smile. "It's time to make this right." She said quietly, turning back and walking resolutely towards the younger girls, who were standing and waiting. "Rei-chan," She said in the softest, gentlest voice she had, "I think it's time we talked."

Rei looked down and nodded. There was a pause, and Makoto looked over at Setsuna. "Setsuna-chan...want to come over to my place?" She smiled a bit. "I can whip us up some dinner, and I could use some help studying."

Setsuna chuckled. "Your cooking for a night of tutoring sounds like an excellent trade." The two walked off on their own, leaving Michiru and Rei standing on the sidewalk alone. Michiru's heart ached as she saw how subdued the normally fiery-spirited girl was.

The Senshi of the Sea placed her hands on the girl's shoulder and smiled comfortingly. "Rei-chan...it's okay, really. I promise. Now...we should probably go someplace a little more private."

Rei had looked up and smiled wanly back in reply. "The...park is just a couple of streets down." She offered.

"Well then...let's head that way." Michiru released Rei and the two walked in silence. For Michiru, it was an intensely uncomfortable walk, and she could only imagine that Rei felt the same way. She longed to tell Rei everything she had to say immediately, but knowing how the Senshi of Fire felt about her, Michiru was afraid Rei might lose control of her emotions, and she wanted to preserve the girl's pride as much as possible.

"How...is your shoulder?" Michiru finally asked. Rei started a bit, then gave a very small shrug.

"It still feels strange, but it doesn't really hurt anymore. And it's finally healing up right." She gave a faint, courageous smile. "I'll be ready to fight again in no time."

"That's good to hear." Michiru smiled back. "It's even better to see you up and around."

"Yeah..." Rei trailed off, looking at the sidewalk in front of her. By this time, they had entered the park. A group of children ran by, throwing snowballs at one another and laughing wildly.

The pair found a dry bench beneath a thick copse of trees. As they sat down, Michiru spoke again. "Rei-chan...I need to apologize to you."

Rei blushed, looking resolutely into her lap. Michiru sighed deeply and shook her head. "There's no excuse for the way I behaved...and I've told that to Hotaru as well. What I did was wrong as a parent, a friend and a Senshi."

Whatever Rei had been expecting, this had apparently not been it. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as her face grew redder and redder. "It...you...I...you're damn right it was wrong!" Rei finally shouted, jumping to her feet. "I betrayed your trust? Your trust! Hotaru isn't some little girl that needs to be kept out of danger, and I am not her babysitter!"

Even Michiru, who had been prepared for a reaction like this, cringed as the Senshi of Flame turned the full fury of her legendary temper loose upon her. The tirade continued on for several minutes, Rei pacing back and forth and gesturing wildly. In response, Michiru simply sat on the bench, hands folded in her lap and feeling very much like a child getting the scolding of her life.

Rei finished shouting as her voice became hoarse. She flopped back down onto the bench, hugging herself tightly with angry tears standing in her eyes. There was a heavy pause, and Michiru gathered the courage necessary to timidly touch the miko on the shoulder.

"Rei-chan..." She began to speak, but was cut off as Rei spun around, throwing her hands on Michiru's arms and sobbing into her shoulder. The aqua-haired woman was frozen for a moment, taken off guard by the violent, mercurial moods of Rei when she was upset. But then she smiled sadly and gently stroked the younger girl's hair as she cried herself out.

At last, Rei sat back, sniffling and angrily dashing tears from her eyes. Michiru offered her a handkerchief and she took it gratefully, wiping her face. "I'm sorry." Rei said shortly.

"Don't be." Michiru said with a small smile. "Honestly, it's a relief to see you back to yourself."

"Angry and loud?" Rei laughed softly and shakily. Michiru simply nodded.

"Of course...fiery and strong, Rei. That is how you should be." Rei blushed deeply and sat back against the bench, not looking at anything in particular.

"You were so angry." Rei said in a softer tone. "I've never seen you so out of control. Why?"

Michiru sighed again, leaning her head back and watching the steam from her mouth fade in the air. "I've been thinking a lot about that...and Hotaru and I had a long talk about it." She smiled. "You have a right to hear this."

She turned in the bench to face the other girl. "In the end, I finally realized it was because of guilt."

"Guilt?" Rei blinked. "About Hotaru? Michiru-chan, you're one of the best parents I've ever seen."

"Thank you Rei-chan." Michiru nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment. "But remember...before Haruka, Setsuna and I became her parents, before she was Sailor Saturn...Haruka and I were willing to do anything to stop her from destroying everything." Michiru looked off into the snow-clad distance. "Anything."

Rei shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You did what you thought was best."

"But we were wrong, weren't we?" Michiru shook her head. "And imagine what we would have missed if we had succeeded." The aqua haired woman rubbed the side of her neck, looking sad.

Rei spoke hesitantly. "It was a mistake, Michiru-chan...but you can't let it get to you like that. Hotaru's still here, and she loves you, and you love her."

With a small chuckle, Michiru shook her head. "Haruka says the same thing. And she believes it, to. She's able to let go of past mistakes like that." She let out a small hmph. "I wish I could."

There was a long pause then as Michiru lost herself in her less than cheerful thoughts. Finally she shook herself. "I'm sorry...anyway...this is the first time Hotaru has been so singled out by an enemy since she joined us. Given the guilt I was carrying around, it's not surprising that I overcompensated by becoming so protective."

Rei gave her a look, and Michiru gave a small, genuine laugh. "You don't have to say it...it's silly and I know it. Hotaru and Haruka told me so." She smirked. "Setsuna did as well, but not quite as bluntly." She debated with herself for a moment, and deciding it would do more good than harm, placed her hand over Rei's. Rei blushed deeply, but smiled.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am that you were hurt because I drove you off with such a foolish outburst. It would have been inappropriate at any time, but doing it during an attack was so out of line..." She sighed. "And I was so angry I never even considered how much I could hurt you."

Rei's hand seemed to tense up and Michiru silently cursed herself for letting her tongue slip. "What do you mean?" Rei asked, sounding far too casual.

"We're Sailor Senshi." Michiru said smoothly. "We're supposed to trust each other, especially in a battle. I violated that trust, not you." She suddenly laughed. "Although you already knew that...I'm pretty sure you yelled at me for it at one point back there."

Rei laughed as well, and Michiru felt her hand relax. "Well, just make sure you don't start trying to protect me, too. I'm getting enough from Ojii-chan and Yuuichirou."

"Oh don't worry Rei-chan...I've learned my lesson. I promise." She smiled softly. "Like I said, Hotaru and I had a long talk, and she, and Haruka, are going to help me get over it." She gave Rei's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "Thank you for forgiving me, Rei-chan."

Rei puffed out her cheeks and let the air out slowly. "You're welcome...and thank you, Michiru-chan. I feel a lot better now." She stretched a bit, then grimaced, her hand going to her injured shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Michiru asked with a concerned expression.

"Yeah...I think I just need to get home and rest a bit." She chuckled. "I've been up all day. First there was meeting Usagi and Makoto and then..." Her eyes widened. "Oh, that's right!" She grinned suddenly, surprising Michiru. "Today, at the parlor, Minako and Ami..." She let it trail off dramatically, and Michiru couldn't help but offer a guess.

"Finally told you that they were a couple?"

Rei's jaw dropped open. "You knew?"

Michiru chuckled softly at her stunned expression. "Well, Minako did live with us for awhile. And since they've gotten together she's asked us for some advice from time to time."

"So they've been together since then?" Rei blinked.

"No...they were both dancing around the idea then, I think."

"So how long have they been going out? Oh, you have to tell me everything!" Rei leaned forward eagerly and winced as she put weight on her shoulder.

"We can talk a little while I'm walking you home." Michiru said, standing. "But not too much...I can't break Minako's confidence."

"Oh...right." Rei managed not to look disappointed as she stood up as well. They began walking home, Michiru carefully fielding questions from Rei and feeling like an incredible weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

-------------------

"Well, I'm not sure about this at all Artemis." Luna said uncertainly, curled up in Usagi's lap. The blond girl was asleep in her chair, her homework half-finished in front of her. Artemis had come over to visit, and when he had arrived, Luna and Usagi were discussing Ami and Minako's relationship. "And I don't like the fact that you didn't tell me about it."

"I didn't tell you because it was none of your business." Artemis said, licking a paw on his perch in Usagi's bed. The white cat was being unusually quiet and firm, and it was perturbing Luna.

"They're both Sailor Senshi, and Minako's supposed to be the leader of the Princess's bodyguard besides. Don't you think there might be a conflict of interest here?"

"No, I don't. And anyway, you haven't had a word to say about Haruka and Michiru, or Chibi-Usa and Hotaru for that matter."

"That's different." Luna said shortly, hopping off the snoring girl's lap. "The Outer Senshi aren't responsible for Usagi's safety, and they aren't my responsibility."

"Neither are Minako and Ami." Artemis countered. "Minako's my responsibility and Ami is free to do what she wants. And I say that Minako is too."

"I still think this is something we need to talk about..." Luna began as she jumped into the bed as well.

"No, we don't." Artemis said firmly, shaking his head. "It's none of your concern. I trust both of them to do what they need to, no matter what. You have to trust me too, Luna. This is the best thing that has happened to Minako in a long time, and I totally support her."

Luna sighed, then gave a small cat's smile. "I suppose you're right, Artemis. Ami's the most responsible one of all of them, and Minako has never been anything but exemplary as a Sailor Senshi."

"Exactly." Artemis nodded. He stretched and yawned. "I'm going upstairs to say goodnight to Diana, then I'm headed home."

"Goodnight Artemis." Luna said. "You know...sometimes I'm a little jealous of you and Minako. You're such a good friend to her, along with being her guardian. I wish that Usagi and I could be that close sometimes."

Artemis chuckled. "Queen Serenity told us to be what our charges needed, Luna. Usagi needed...needs...a firmer hand then Minako. Minako needed a friend more than anything else." He hopped down and headed towards the cracked door. "You and Usagi do just fine, Luna."

"Yes, I suppose we do..." Luna lay down on the sheets and curled into a ball with a smile. Suddenly she jumped up darted to the door as well. "Artemis!" She hissed. "Stay out of the kitchen! Usagi's mother blamed me the last time you raided the fridge."

"I promise nothing!" Artemis' voice wafted quietly from downstairs. With a low growl, Luna ran after him.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whew, this was a difficult chapter to write! But really, a lot of this story has made me stretch as a writer. I feel really good about how my style has improved over the way I used to write. (Badly)

Anyway, expect action in the next chapter! Time for the bad guys to remind us that they're still there and getting worse all the time. Stay tuned!

All characters from Sailormoon belong to those who own them. All other characters belong to me. I make no money from this story. So there. Nyah.


	22. Chapter 22

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 22

The next day began grim and frigid. Clouds had swept in during the night, and the sky was a gloomy slate gray as the first wave of commuters headed towards the train and bus stations amid a sullen, intermittent snowfall.

As one man walked down the steps into the subway station, he saw a little girl with long violet hair running up the stairs towards him. He barely had time to wonder what she was doing there alone, let alone why she was dressed so strangely before she was past him. He turned his head to look after her, but he was suddenly and violently pushed down.

He tried to catch himself, but stumbled directly into the back of the man walking in front of him. "Excuse me!" He apologized hurriedly, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw him catch himself on the railing.

"Well why don't you watch where you're going?" The other snapped, straightening up and spinning around. The first man took a step backwards, surprised by the vehement look of anger in the other's eyes. The press of people around them slowed slightly, noting the disturbance.

"I'm really sorry, I think that girl pushed me..."

"What girl? I didn't see any girl!" As the two men glared at each other, the first felt a dull pounding in his head. The air, so cold a moment ago, seemed to be growing hot and close. He clenched his fists tightly.

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" He said angrily. Though it went unnoticed, the crowd seemed to be affected by the change in the atmosphere as well. Many of them stopped to watch, and a few began calling out encouragement to one man or the other.

Finally, the man who had been pushed cocked his fist back. "I'm sick of talking to you!" He shouted, running forward. The two of them, both businessmen in impeccable suits, began brawling on the stairs of the subway to the angry cheers of the men and women around them.

Up on the ceiling, Tachyon sat on a metal beam, her purple eyes glittering in satisfaction as she watched the two fight. Inevitably, they began running into the crowd around them and the fight began to spread into a general melee. The little girl giggled gleefully, her legs kicking in the air.

"Good little Furies..." She cooed. "This should bring those Sailor Senshi soon enough, then we can have some real fun."

-------------------

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Minako panted, running a step behind Ami.

"Don't talk, just run!" Ami called over her shoulder, putting on a little more speed. "I can't believe you're going to make me late!" She moaned, throwing her head back. "I'm never late!"

Despite her growing lack of breath, Minako managed a laugh. "You didn't have to wait, you know."

That brought Ami skidding to a stop. Minako stumbled to a halt as well after passing Ami by a few steps, and she turned back to look at the blue haired girl. "What...?" She asked, then smiled as she saw Ami blushing at her.

"Well..." She said, looking down shyly. "I guess I didn't have to."

"Ami..." Minako walked over and took Ami's hand in hers. A bell rang out across the city, and Ami started.

"Oh no! We have to hurry!" She broke into a sprint again, dragging Minako helplessly after her. As they turned a corner, she released her girlfriend's hand. "Oh no! Look out!"

"What?" Minako asked dully, unable to stop herself or even slow down as she turned the corner. All she saw before being thrown violently to the icy sidewalk was a flash of blonde hair.

She pulled herself to a sitting position, clutching her mouth. "Ow!" She exclaimed into her hand. Looking over, she saw Usagi laying prone.

With a sudden movement, the other girl was up on her knees, holding her forehead and wailing. "Waah! That hurt!"

Ami knelt by Minako and pulled her hand away, looking at her mouth. "You're okay." She said with a smile, before turning to look at Usagi. "Usagi-chan? Why are you running this way? School's the other way."

"That's my fault." Luna said, hopping lightly off the wall they were running beside. "We're headed for the train station."

"The train station? Why?" Minako asked, lightly touching her head to see if she had a bump.

"Right after Usagi left, a news report came on. There's some kind of riot going on down there. Everyone's fighting."

"Why?"

"Nobody knows. It seemed sort of suspicious, so I caught up with Usagi to have her check it out." The cat smiled at Ami and Minako. "Actually, I'm glad I caught up with you. Now the three of you can investigate together."

Ami blinked. "What...now? Luna we can't! We'll be late for school as it is!"

"We could just say we got caught in all the confusion." Minako suggested. Ami looked horror-stricken, and Minako hurriedly followed up, "Well, it wouldn't be a lie, would it? Not exactly, anyway."

"But Mina-chan, exams are in just a couple of weeks! We can't miss school right now!"

"But we have to try to help those people!" Usagi chimed in. "If the enemy's making them fight like this, we can't just leave it alone, can we? Right, Luna?"

Luna looked back and forth from Ami and Usagi, torn between supporting Usagi's responsibility to her duties as a Senshi and her duties as a student. "I think..." She started, but the decision was taken out of her hands as Sailor Jupiter's voice came in on the girl's communicators.

"Everyone, I'm at the train station!" Jupiter's voice sounded tense and strained, as if she were speaking through clenched teeth. The sounds of a full fledged riot were roaring in the background. "You have to get down here right now...there's something weird going on...hurry...be careful..." The transmission ended.

Minako stood up. "Well, that settles that. Let's go." Knowing that the others would follow, she ran off towards in the direction of the subway. Sure enough, the other two followed.

- The three girls and their feline companion were not the only ones converging on the station. Mamoru had seen the same bulletin Luna had and, sensing he would be needed, was now running across rooftops as Tuxedo Kamen. A few streets away, he could hear the sounds of the disturbance and paused to take stock.

Hearing a sound behind him, he turned. Sailor Pluto landed lightly on the rooftop from another direction and gave him a small, mysterious smile. "Going to help?" She inquired.

"Yes...they're going to need me." He turned back to look towards the battleground. "Are the other Outer Senshi coming?"

"No." Surprised, Tuxedo Kamen turned back. Sailor Pluto looked grim. "I asked them to stay behind."

"But why?"

"This is dangerous...more dangerous than a simple daeva attack. There is something far more sinister at work here. I think...no, I feel that the more of us that come to fight, the more dangerous this will become."

With a grim expression, Tuxedo Kamen listened to the riot raging a few streets over. "Then what will you do?"

"I'm not here to fight them." Pluto said calmly, but Tuxedo Kamen saw her mouth thin into a hard, angry line. "She is here as well."

"Tachyon?" Pluto nodded. "In the confusion of the battle she might try to take one of them unaware, as she did Rei. I will not allow her to do that again."

"I'm glad you'll be looking out for us." Tuxedo Kamen said with a smile.

"You're still going?" Pluto asked with a small smile, sounding not at all surprised.

"Yes...like I said, they'll need me." He touched the brim of his top hat. "You trust your feelings, and I'll trust mine. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Sailor Pluto nodded. "Good luck."

Tuxedo Kamen replied with a smile and a nod, leaping off the rooftop to the street below and hitting the ground running. Sailor Pluto looked after him for a moment, then closed her eyes, her hands tightening around her Garnet Rod as she felt the twisting currents of Time, trying to gain a sense of when her adversary would attack.

-------------------

When the three girls were in sight of the train station, Luna brought them up short with a sharp hiss, her back arched and all her fur standing on end. "Stop!"

"Luna? What's the matter?" Usagi asked.

"There's a strange energy in the air...I've never felt it before, but I don't like it at all."

Minako looked at the other two. "All right...let's do it." Ami and Usagi nodded.

"MOON COSMIC POWER!"

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"MAKE UP!"

Once they had transformed, Mercury immediately activated her computer. But after just a moment, she turned it off again with a frustrated look. "No good...Tachyon must be nearby. She's scrambling everything too much to get a decent reading."

"So what do we do?" Sailor Moon asked, looking at the subway. While most of the fighting was still happening beneath the street, the brawl was beginning to spread up onto the sidewalk.

"No choice." Venus said. "We go in. But everyone be careful." They ran to the stairs, dodging past the people fighting at the entrance as they took clumsy swings at the Sailor Senshi.

Inside, it was chaos. A mass of people with fists and feet flying wildly. Here and there the blue of police uniforms could be seen, but they were brawling right along with everyone else. "Does anyone see Jupiter?" Sailor Moon called out loudly.

"No!" Venus called back.

"She's probably deeper in!" Mercury shouted. "We've got to find a way down!"

Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus looked uncertainly at the rioting mob below them. Mercury bit her lip. "Well...I guess there's no choice..." She jumped up and began springing over the crowd, bouncing off shoulders, backs and heads before any of them could realize what was happening.

Venus laughed. "She's so practical!" She followed, Sailor Moon close on her heels. It seemed that most of the crowd was concentrated on the stairs, so the boarding platforms were relatively clear.

As they landed on tile once again, they heard Ami let out a horrified gasp. "Look!" A short distance away was a ring of fighting men and women, with the same crazed, enraged look as the people on the stairs. In the center of that circle was Sailor Jupiter, ruthlessly beating on three of the combatants that had gotten too close. There were a few prone forms around her, showing that these three were not the first.

"Sailor Jupiter!" Sailor Moon called. There was no response. Instead, the brunnette warrior siezed the woman she was punching by the arms and sent her sailing through the air until she collided with one of the concrete pillars.

"Jupiter stop!" Sailor Moon shouted, running forward. "That's enough!" Jupiter ignored her and continued pounding on the next hapless man she grabbed.

"Mercury, make sure she's okay!" Venus called over her shoulder as she tried to catch Sailor Moon. Mercury nodded and hurried over to the woman slumped against the pillar.

"Sailor Jupiter! I order you to stop!" Sailor Moon had reached the other girl and was trying to pry her victim from her hands. Jupiter stared at her without an ounce of recognition and threw the man from her, grabbing Sailor Moon by the front of her fuku. She cocked her fist back. "Jupiter, no..." Sailor Moon whispered, staring at her in shock.

"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" The shining links snapped Jupiter across her wrist, forcing her to drop Sailor Moon with a snarl. "Sailor Moon, get away!" Venus called. Sailor Moon backed hurriedly away, dodging a few of the other combatants as she did so. Jupiter glared madly at Venus for a moment before rushing towards her with a roar.

"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!" The icy mist spread out, trapping Jupiter and most of the other nearby rioters in a thin sheath of ice. "She's...fine." Mercury said, holding one hand to her forehead. "But somebody's going to be killed if we can't stop this soon..."

"Are you alright?" Venus asked, noticing how pale Mercury looked. The blue-haired girl nodded.

"Yes...I just feel so hot..."

"Hot? It's freezing down here!" Sailor Moon panted, coming towards the other two. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!" Mercury snapped angrily. Venus blinked, surprised by the vehemence in her girlfriend's voice.

"Ami?" She said softly, reaching out to Sailor Mercury. With a small cry, Mercury slapped her hand away. "Ami!" Mercury stared at Venus, and the blonde Senshi could see the sense fade from her eyes. "No..." In the next instant, Sailor Mercury threw a punch at Venus' chin that sent her to the ground more from shock than the force of the strike.

Sailor Moon rushed forward, holding Mercury's wrists and trying to keep her back. "Mercury! What happened to you?" Mercury just snared, actually biting at Sailor Moon as she struggled in her grip.

Venus stood hesitantly. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Mercury, stepping forward and placing a hand on her arm. "Ami..." She whispered. For a moment, there was a change. Mercury's eyes cleared and she looked at Venus.

"Mina-chan..." She gasped. "So...sorry...can't..." She closed her eyes tightly and cried out.

"Ami!"

"Ami-chan!" Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus both shouted, and Sailor Moon released her grip on Mercury's wrists.

"Four of them!" Mercury shouted, her hands going to the sides of her head. She opened her eyes, and it was clear the rage had consumed her again. But before she could begin attacking once more, there was a loud shattering sound behind them. Sailor Jupiter had broken through the ice trapping her torso and was pounding on the rest that held her legs to the ground.

"Hurry!" Venus shouted, quickly grabbing Mercury around the waist, pinning her arms to her side. The Senshi of Ice stuggled and screamed like a mad thing, but Venus refused to let go. With Sailor Moon's help, they dragged her towards the open door of the train stopped at the platform.

Thankfully, it was empty inside. The two of them managed to secure Mercury's wrists to a couple of the hanging handholds in the train car and then quickly secured the doors. They both sank into a couple of seats to get their breath. Venus probed her lip, wincing when her glove came away bloody.

"What happened?" Sailor Moon asked with concern.

"She got me with a headbutt while we were dragging her in." Venus said softly. She blinked and looked again. "Sailor Moon...you're glowing."

Sailor Moon looked down at herself and gasped. Sure enough, a soft pink glow was suffusing her body. "The Ginzuishou..." Her brooch had opened, and the crystal within was pulsing with light. "Maybe it's protecting me so I don't go crazy like the others."

"But then why haven't I?" Venus asked, still poking at her lip. She winced, and stopped. "Ami would have told me to leave it alone." She said sadly, looking at the crazed girl struggle against her bonds.

"We'll get her back, Venus. And Jupiter too. Don't worry." Sailor Moon said with a confident smile. After a moment, Venus smiled back. Then both of them started as a loud pounding rang out through the car. Someone was hammering on the door they had come in. "Is it Jupiter?" Sailor Moon asked nervously.

Suddenly a large dent appeared in the door, and both girls leapt to their feet. "Oh yeah, it's Jupiter." Venus said, backing away from the door.

"What are we going to do?"

"Four of them...that's what Ami said." Venus muttered, looking around. "Four of what? What's going on?"

The door was shoved aside, and Sailor Jupiter leapt inside, growling. She coiled back, about to spring towards the other girl, when a red rose shattered one of the large windows to the side and hit the ground in front of her.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon shouted in relief, but the relief was short lived. Tuxedo Kamen was staggering about the platform, obviously struggling against the insanity that had gripped all the others. "Tuxedo Kamen! Don't give in, you have to help us!" He looked up sharply, his mask slipping off his sweat-streaked face. His eyes widened in apparent fear, and he threw another rose, this one directly at Sailor Moon. With a frightened wail, the girl threw herself to the ground as it went through the window that separated the two.

"Sailor Moon, look!" The rose had struck something invisible, and with a strangled cry, it's target came into view. It was hideous, a gray creature the size of a small child, with long, grasping hands and feet and huge, bulbous red eyes. It had a slit for a mouth and no other features. Venus attacked without hesitation.

"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!" The creature shrieked and vanished in a blast of gold energy.

"What was that?" Sailor Moon asked, pulling herself to her feet and looking around. Around the train, the rioters had fallen unconscious, along with Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen. Mercury still shrieked and struggled, however.

"It's what's doing this...and there are three more." Venus said grimly.

"But they're invisible! How can we fight them?"

Venus looked over at Mercury. "They can see them..." Venus said slowly. "And I got through to her once before..." She rushed over and began undoing the straps that held the girl in place, avoiding her kicking feet and biting teeth. "Come on!" Holding Mercury's arms to her sides again, she began dragging her out of the train. Confused, Sailor Moon followed.

"Ami..." Venus said softly, holding her head back to avoid getting struck again. "You have to help us, please...tell us where the other daeva are..."

Mercury stilled somewhat and began trembling. Venus took the initiative and turned her around, hugging her tightly. "Please hurry...just tell us..."

With a small cry, Mercury pushed away from Venus. She ran a shaking hand through her hair and straightened up, looking around with fevered eyes. "There!" She gasped, pointing at a spot above the archway that led to the stairs. "There!" She fell to her knees and Venus knelt beside her, hugging her close.

"Sailor Moon!"

"I'm on it!" Sailor Moon said, twirling her scepter between her fingers. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" The pink energy blasted into the area that Ami had pointed to, and with a fading wail another creature, identical to the first, came into view just in time to fall into itself and vanish. A large crowd of the brawlers on the stairs fell to the floor, and the rest stopped fighting and turned to look at the small group.

"Uh-oh..." Sailor Moon said, backing up a step.

Sailor Mercury seemed on the verge of passing out herself, but she held onto Minako's hand in a deathgrip. "Don't let go..." She almost sobbed. "Please don't let go...when you hold me, it all fades away..."

"I won't, I promise..." Venus's head snapped up as the crowd on the stairs gave a massive roar and charged down the stairs towards them. "But Mercury...I need to know where the other two are..." Venus pulled Ami to her feet, and Sailor Moon took up a defensive posture between them and the crowd.

"There...it's right there!" Mercury said, pointing at a spot in the air directly over the front of the advancing mob.

"Got it!" Sailor Moon shouted. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" Another blast, another scream and a third creature fell out of the air, vanishing into the mad crowd below. A full half of the mob collapsed, and the rest ran over them, heedless.

"That was great Ami." Venus said gently. "But where's the last one?" There was no response. "Ami? Sailor Mercury?" Venus gave the girl a little shake, and Mercury's body went completely limp, falling out of Venus's hands to the floor. "Ami!" She shouted, and then the crowd was on them.

The crowd's crazed condition worked against them. Venus beat aside a surge of attacks and knocked several people to the ground, clearing a space around her for a fraction of a second. She saw Sailor Moon avoiding her attackers with her surprisingly good evasion skills...mostly running, dodging and screaming.

Sailor Venus shoved her way into the crowd, avoiding some attacks and taking more as she threw people out of her way to get back to Mercury. She felt a sense of relief as she caught sight of her, struggling back into a sitting position. Tears were streaming down her face as she flailed her arms wildly, and Venus' heart jumped into her throat as she doubled her efforts to get past the crowd.

Mercury suddenly cried out and moved her arms as if pushing something away, and Venus understood. She screamed with rage as she shoved aside the last few people standing between her and her love, and went into a flying tackle right in front of her. She hands caught something she couldn't see, and she held her invisible enemy tightly beneath her as they tumbled through the grasping mob.

"Don't you EVER touch her!" She shouted down at where she guessed the creature's head was, and raised her fingers. "CRESCENT BEAM!" The beam of golden energy flew out and something invisible burst. The thing didn't even have time to become visible before it vanished completely.

The rest of the crowd fell, and silence reigned. Venus looked back and saw Sailor Moon standing above Mercury, chest heaving as she touched a swollen cheek. She smiled and offered Venus a thumbs-up. On the other side of the station, Tuxedo Kamen was struggling to his feet, and Jupiter stumbled out of the train car holding her forehead. "Oh, that hurts." She groaned.

Venus stumbled over to Mercury sat by her, taking her hand. The blue-haired girl cracked her eyes open and smiled weakly. "Mina-chan..."

"I'm here." Venus smiled. "I'm here." Suddenly, an odd sensation washed over her, and there was a buzzing sound in her ears. She looked up, or tried to. It suddenly felt as if she were trying to move through molasses. The buzzing sound came again, and Venus felt a chill as she realized that someone was speaking, it was just far too quick to hear.

Her head finally lifted, and she could see the others moving in jerky, accelerated patterns. They seemed worried, and she guessed it was about her. Ami squeezed her hand, but the sensation was distant and numb. Her eyes drifted to the stairs, and a cold knot of fear appeared in her stomach. A little girl, dressed strangely in purple and with long violet hair was coming down the stairs, holding a glittering knife. She was grinning right at Venus.

Venus opened her mouth to cry out, but she knew it wouldn't be fast enough. Indeed, at just that moment Tachyon bolted forward, her movement a violet blur to Venus in her slowed state.

But then Sailor Pluto was there, dropping from the ceiling and swinging her rod down to deflect Tachyon's stabbing strike. There was a yellow flash, and Venus felt her flow of time return to normal.

Everyone stared at Sailor Pluto, who looked down impassively at the glaring Tachyon. There was a silent, frozen moment and then Tachyon smiled sweetly. "Sailor Pluto...are you going to ruin all my fun?"

Sailor Pluto did not speak. She simply raised an elegant eyebrow in a question and a challenge. Tachyon's knuckles turned white as they gripped the hilt of her dagger. She looked past the green-haired Senshi at the others gathered behind her. She relaxed somewhat and smiled again, a nasty, bloodthirsty smile. "I don't see the one in red, Sailor Mars. Hasn't she recovered yet? Poor little girl..."

With a low growl, Jupiter started forward, but Sailor Moon put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. With an angry expression, Jupiter allowed herself to be pulled back. Tachyon smirked mockingly. "That's right...no need to hurry. I like to take my time." She shivered a little. "I remember how Sailor Mars cried out when I stabbed her. If only I had had more time..."

She giggled. "Well, I'll have all the time I need, soon. I'll make you all scream." She turned her eyes to Sailor Pluto again. "Especially you." She said, and there was vitriolic hatred in her voice.

"So angry." Pluto finally spoke, her voice even and calm. "Just because I spoiled your...fun?"

"No, silly!" Tachyon had shifted again, and wore a sunny smile. "You're the Guardian of Time...and I hate Time. Time's been really mean to me. And, since I can't hurt Time..." She licked the blade of her knife. "I'll just have to take it out on you." She stepped back. "I'll see you all soon." She giggled. "Remember...I know where you're going to be!"

"No." Sailor Pluto pounded the butt of her Garnet Rod against the ground once and red light flared through the train station. Tachyon staggered backwards, shock written across her face. A small, satisfied smile appeared on Pluto's lips. "You badly miscalculated, little one. I felt your energy as you tried to attack Sailor Venus. I know it's pattern now, and I can hide us from it, just as you hide your allies from Time itself. From now on, you'll be as blind as we are."

"You...how..." Tachyon started shaking violently. Her face went completely blank, but her hand began making stabbing and slashing motions as if of it's own volition. "I'll skin you and keep you frozen in agony forever for this..." She whispered harshly, sounding far, far older than she appeared. "You..." She let out a single, murderous shriek and vanished in a flash of sickly yellow.

Sailor Venus was still sitting on the ground, and Sailor Mercury was now sitting as well, leaning against her love. "Well, she's fun." Sailor Venus said sarcastically. Mercury chuckled tiredly and gave Venus' hand small squeeze.

Tuxedo Kamen yanked himself painfully to his feet. "Ow...I think a few of those lunatics ran me over while I was out." He said, rubbing his back. Sailor Moon ran over to him and slid her head under his shoulder for support. He smiled softly and gave Sailor Moon a kiss on the forehead.

"What happened?" Jupiter asked, still sounding a little dazed. "All I remember is running past all those people fighting on the stairs to see what was causing it, then nothing until I woke up just now."

Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus quickly related everything that had happened. When they had finished, Jupiter laughed. "Well, I guess that's why I feel like I have freezer burn." She said. "It's a good thing those creatures couldn't get to you."

"Furies." Pluto said. "They're demons that feed on violent emotions and have the ability to incite them in mortal creatures."

Venus nodded. It was still strange to her that the Furies hadn't affected her. The Ginzuishou had protected Sailor Moon, but what had protected her?

The people around them began to stir. "I think we should make ourselves scarce." Tuxedo Kamen said. "Where should we go?"

Sailor Mercury took a look at the large clock on the wall. "Well, this didn't take very long, all things considered...if we hurry we can be at school before homeroom is over." Everyone simply stared at her for a moment, and she looked down and blushed. "Maybe not."

Venus laughed and gave the blue-haired Senshi a soft kiss on the cheek, blushing herself as she saw everyone smiling at them. "Why don't we go to Rei's shrine? It's close, and I think we can use a little rest."

"Good idea." Pluto agreed. "And after that little exchange, I want to take closer look at Rei more than ever."

They left the station and transformed back without incident, all of them except Pluto finding themselves rather battered and bruised by their experiences. They collected Luna and headed to the Shrine at a leisurely pace, Usagi and Mamoru leading, Minako and Ami hand-in-hand behind them and Setsuna and Makoto behind, Luna riding on Makoto's shoulders.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi called as they approached the door to Rei's room. She lifted her hand to the screen frame to knock, but it was suddenly and violently thrown open before she could touch it.

Rei was standing there, still in her sleeping clothes. She looked terrible, her hair was ragged, her eyes were red and her face was deeply tear streaked. She looked at the group standing before the door. "Is everyone okay?" She asked, a frantic edge in her voice. "I heard Jupiter's message and...and..." She choked and grabbed her chest.

"Rei-chan?" Makoto handed Luna to Usagi and shouldered past the others to help Rei stand. "Rei-chan, we're all okay. And you're still injured, so you really did the right thing staying behind..."

"No, no Mako-chan!" Rei sobbed, throwing her face against the other girl's shoulder. "I didn't want to stay behind. I tried...and nothing happened..."

She lifted her stricken face to look at everyone who was watching her, stunned expressions on their faces. "I can't transform!"

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE- Well, that's a good place to end the chapter, don't you think? Mwa ha ha ha!

Sailormoon and all it's characters belong to others. All other characters belong to me.


	23. Chapter 23

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 23

"So it's the knife?" Haruka asked, leaning against a wooden beam.

"Yes." Setsuna said, looking pale and rather ill.

It was the late afternoon of the day of the battle, and the Sailor Senshi had all been called to the Hikawa Shrine. Setsuna sat on the steps right next to Rei, who looked only slightly better than the other woman. Makoto sat on Rei's other side, a comforting presence that Rei could lean on. Hotaru and Chibi-Usa sat on the step below and a bit to the side, and Mamoru and Usagi stood side by side next to the steps. Michiru stood next to where Haruka leaned against the support, and Ami and Minako sat hand-in-hand on the shrine's wooden walkway on the other side of the steps, their legs hanging over the side.

"Tachyon is completely insane." Setsuna continued. "Which isn't news to anyone who's actually seen her." She managed a small, sarcastic smile. "And her powers allow her insanity to spread into the flow of energies around her. That's what keeps Ami's computer from working properly when she's nearby. It has a similar effect on me." She added with a rueful smirk. During her and Ami's examination of Rei, her proximity to Tachyon's handiwork had caused her to physically sick several times.

"And the knife?" Michiru asked, her eyes on Rei and her expression soft and deeply sympathetic.

"The knife concentrates and amplifies the effect." Ami said. "When she used it on Rei, it didn't just pierce her flesh, it pierced her energy pattern and inflicted Tachyon's madness on it." Rei winced visibly and Ami sighed. "Sorry, Rei-chan." She said softly, and Rei gave a little nod.

"Can you fix it?" Makoto asked Setsuna, her eyes never leaving Rei.

Setsuna closed her eyes and sighed. "No." She finally said. "If it was just tangled, given time, I might be able to repair the damage. But it's still shifting and twisting...still connected to the weapon that inflicted the wound. If I could find where the link was, I could sever it, but it could take me an eternity to find it within that random insanity." With an apologetic look, she placed a hand on Rei's shoulder.

Rei looked up and gave Setsuna a small smile. "Hey, it's okay..." She said softly. A moment later her eyes slid away and the miko stared ahead into space again.

"What happens if we destroy Tachyon or the knife?" Haruka asked.

"That's what we're going to have to do." Setsuna said firmly. "If we can shatter that blade, Rei's energy should fall back into a usable pattern again. You'll go back to normal." She gave Rei's shoulder a small squeeze and released it.

"Then that's it!" Makoto said, leaping up and slamming her fist into her palm angrily. "The next time I see that little psycho I'm going to blast her and her knife into a million pieces." She grinned brashly down at Rei. "I promise, Rei-chan."

"Hm..." Rei glanced briefly up at Makoto and gave a small nod, resting her chin in her hands.

"We'll help you Rei-chan." Michiru said, and Haruka nodded.

"Of course we will. Everything will be okay." The short-haired Senshi said firmly. Rei lowered her head and ran her fingers through her hair in an impatient gesture.

"Rei-chan?" Usagi asked diffidently, tilting her head quizzically at the other girl.

"Don't!" Rei snapped. "Don't say it's going to be okay, Usagi-chan. In fact, everyone just stop. Stop!" She rose to her feet, an angry look on her face. "I hate this! Okay? I hate it. I HATE it. You have no idea what it was like sitting here this morning, completely helpless, with no idea what was going on, too scared to use the communicator because I didn't want to distract you guys!"

She ran out of breath and she paused to catch it before starting again. "So do not tell me it's going to be okay! I don't need to hear this right now! I can't do anything! Do you know what that's like?" She shouted, jumping off the steps and wheeling on all of them. "Do you have any idea what it's like to know that you're all going to be fighting while I'm just sitting here alone?" She abruptly seemed to run out of energy and she stopped, covering half her face with her hand. She sighed deeply.

"Look...I'm sorry. I know you all just want to help. I just...can't deal with this right now." She stormed up the steps into her room and slid the screen shut with such force that it made everyone jump. There was a moment of embarrassed silence.

"Should someone go after her?" Minako said in a voice just barely above a whisper.

"Go for it." Haruka replied with a smirk, speaking just as softly. Minako's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head.

"Is she alright?" Hotaru asked, looking at the closed door with a concerned expression.

"She'll be fine, Hotaru-chan." Setsuna said reassuringly. "This would be a terrible position for any of us to be in, but I think it's worse for Rei. She just needs time to work things out."

"We should probably go." Ami said, sliding off the walkway to the ground. "I'll start trying to think of a way to find Tachyon's base. If we can do that, we can try to surprise her. Now that Setsuna's stopped her from seeing our futures, that would be possible."

"That's a good place to start." Minako agreed, hopping down to stand next to her. Everybody drifted away, until only Makoto was left, still sitting on the steps. She sat there, looking at the door for a long time before finally walking off as well, a troubled expression on her face.

-------------------

On the distant outskirts of Tokyo stood a richly appointed, Western-style mansion, surrounded by wide and elegant grounds. With the onset of winter, only a single groundskeeper was present that afternoon, his mind carefully altered to believe that the couple who had once lived in this place were still in residence.

As Meson watched him with bored disinterest, it amused her to consider how horrified the creature would be if it knew what Tachyon had done to it's former employers. She stepped right in front of him as he tended a bed of hardy winter flowers. He didn't even glance up, and her footsteps did not make the smallest impression on the damp, yellow grass.

With a certain careless ease she climbed up the side of the building and entered a second story window, her senses on the alert as she crept soundlessly through the halls. The place was ominously silent, but that was normal for Tachyon's territory. None of the daeva under her control wanted to draw attention to themselves.

Meson crept down the hall, looking for one of those daeva. She could find Tachyon herself, of course, but she considered it important to assert her influence now and again. All the daeva in Hadron's army were ultimately hers, and she wanted them all to know that no matter where they were, no matter who else they served, she could find them in an instant. It made discipline so much easier if they all felt like her eyes were always on them.

There was one, walking silently down the hallway. A female daeva, with roughly human proportions. Her skin was dark blue and her hair was white, with two insectoid antennae jutting out of her forehead. Meson crept behind her and, when she was almost touching her, spoke. "Where is Tachyon."

To her surprise, the daeva immediately fell into a crouch, covering her head protectively. "Please, don't!" She cried out over Meson's voice. Then she paused. "Oh, Lady Meson, it's you!" There was palpable relief in her voice.

"Where is Tachyon?" Meson repeated in an even tone, ignoring the daeva's fearful behavior.

"She...she's in a study on the third floor." She pointed down the hallway. "Just up those steps, and to the left."

"Stand up and take me there." Meson snapped, wondering at this creature's incompetence.

The daeva flinched and slowly stood. "Please, Lady Meson...Lady Tachyon returned several hours ago. The Furies were not with her. She is...very angry."

Ah...there was the explanation. Meson had been considering killing the daeva for her insolence, but now reconsidered. There was little point in slaying the wretch for trying to avoid a more painful and gruesome death. "Very well." She said, stepping past the daeva towards the stairs.

"Thank you, Lady Meson, thank..." The daeva turned to watch Meson depart, but the white-clad woman had already vanished from sight. As she stalked up the stairs, her black cape swirling around her, Meson considered what could have angered Tachyon so. Even if the Furies had been killed and all the Sailor Senshi escaped, they should have caused enough chaos to satisfy the child. Something else must have happened.

Reaching the door, she lifted her hand to knock, and Tachyon's light voice rang out, tense and angry. "Come in Meson." As she entered, even she was unable to conceal a flicker of distaste at the sight of the daeva on the table. After what Tachyon had done to it, it should have died in seconds, but the girl had slowed it's body's passage through time, without affecting it's mind, forcing it to endure every agonizing moment of it's delayed death.

Tachyon herself was sitting in the depths of a large, soft armchair, her legs kicking at the upholstery and her face petulant and angry. "What happened?" Meson asked perfunctorily.

"Sailor Pluto cheated." The tiny girl snapped. "She hid the Sailor Senshi's presence from me. I can't see them anymore." Meson didn't want to antagonize the child further, it was contrary to her reason's for coming, so she kept her angry exclamation to herself. Tachyon's ability to see their enemies' future and keep them from doing the same was one of their few advantages on this world, and now it had been cut in half.

The child leaned over and retrieved her knife from the remains of her victim and began stabbing it rhythmically into the arm of her chair. "When I have them, I'll make Sailor Pluto watch while I carve the rest into tiny little pieces." She muttered, her eyes going distant. Meson let her lose herself while she took a position opposite the chair on the other side of the table.

"Tachyon." She finally said, and the child's eyes turned up towards Meson, blank eyes devoid of everything but a need to kill. It would have frozen the blood of most beings, but Meson had protection against Tachyon's time-manipulation tricks, and the girl knew it. "Perhaps the time has come to stop playing with the Sailor Senshi and accomplish your mission"

The girl's eyes cleared somewhat and a hint of her usual mask appeared, a small, playful smile on her face. "No, no, no...I'm not done with them yet. There are still games to play..."

"The first Vortex has to be opened soon." Meson said in a cajoling tone. "The Black Cultists cannot finish the preparations for the ritual without its power as an anchor. And Lord Hadron is very eager to enter this world, and he can't do it without the power of the Vortex." Hadron's mere presence was anathema to the natural energies of a planet like the Earth, and this planet had a remarkably powerful flow of energy. This made it ideal for Hadron's plans, but it also resisted his entry to the point that it would take a powerful disruption to allow him to cross over.

"I don't care about any of that." Tachyon said dismissively.

"No, you wouldn't." Meson agreed quietly. "But what about your reward? Once the first Vortex has been created, your duties to Hadron will be complete. We can open the other two on our own, and you can use the power of the first to gain your heart's desire. Once you have that, you can take care of the Sailor Senshi at your leisure. Not even Sailor Pluto could stop you then."

Tachyon's eyes lit up with longing at that, and her stabbing of the chair stopped as she considered Meson's words. "I'm still not finished." She finally said, her usual lilting tone tone returned. "I can still have fun with the Sailor Senshi. But not for much longer. I'll open the Vortex soon. I have the perfect place already picked out." She gave Meson a sunny smile. "Okay?"

Meson gave a small, mirthless smile in return. "Of course Tachyon. Have fun." She left the room then and proceeded invisibly out of the house, moving well away from Tachyon's disruptive influence before transporting herself back down to her headquarters, deep beneath Tokyo. Now she just had to ascertain what Muon had been up to all this time, and she would be ready to report to her master.

-------------------

Minako walked into her yard, then stopped as she caught sight of her mother's car in the driveway. -Great, she's home early.- Her mind drawled sarcastically as she leaned her head up and looked up into the night sky. The clouds that had hung there all day had finally started to blow off towards evening, and she could see the stars twinkling behind them. She puffed up her cheeks and let out a loud sigh, wondering if it would be worth it to just turn around and head back to Ami's place.

No...Ami's mom would be home soon, and that was an awkward encounter Minako just wasn't ready for. That was why she had left in the first place. And it's not as if she had been contributing much to the conversation anyway. Setsuna had joined the two of them, and she and Ami had been brainstorming ways to use the link between Rei's wound and Tachyon's weapon to find the little monster herself. Since everything they thought of had involved finding the link within Rei's energy, and that seemed to be all but impossible, they didn't seem to be making much progress. But at least it felt like they were doing something.

"Poor Rei..." Minako sighed. She didn't blame her for getting angry at them. After the shock of having her powers torn away, Minako didn't think she could bear to hear too many reassurances either. And having to listen while the rest talked strategy and knowing that you couldn't do anything to help...Minako shuddered a little, and that movement transformed into shivering, a sudden gust of wind reminding her that she was standing in the snow in a skirt and leg warmers.

She glared at her house, and its windows seemed to look back with an air of smugness, as if daring her to come inside. A white shape detached itself from the wall next to her and hopped to the sidewalk, twining between her legs. "Hello Artemis." She said with a smile.

"Hi Minako." Artemis replied, hopping lightly up on her shoulder. "Any reason in particular you're standing out here? Or just enjoying the cold?"

Minako nodded her head towards the house. "She got back before I did."

"Oh, great." Artemis sighed. "What do you want to do?"

Minako shrugged a little, so as not to dislodge her passenger. "Not much of a choice. Let's go, cat." She headed into the yard, pausing just a moment before opening the door.

As soon as the door shut behind her, she could hear her mother's strident voice from the living room. "Mimi, is that you?"

"Yes, Mother, it's me." She said with a small sigh. Artemis nuzzled her cheek for support and she smiled a bit.

"You're home so late!" Her mother appeared at the entryway to the living room, a rather overly-dramatic expression of concern on her face.

"This is when I usually get home, Mother." Minako said in a neutral tone as she slipped off her shoes and put on slippers. Inwardly she groaned. She knew what was coming. For some reason or another, her mother had suddenly felt like playing the concerned little Mommy. Nights like this generally ended badly.

"Well you should start coming home earlier." Her mother said in a firm tone. "It's not good for you to eat dinner so late."

"I usually eat later than this, Mother. And besides, I ate at a friend's house, anyway."

"Oh, your little blue-haired friend? Aki, right?"

"Ami, Mother!" Minako almost snapped. Her mother touching on the subject of Ami was enough to raise her hackles, let alone her failure to get the name right.

"Sorry dear..." The thin woman said in a placid tone as she glided past Minako and into the kitchen. "Are you sure you're not hungry, Mimi? I could make you a little something."

Minako actually was fairly hungry, which only served to irritate her all the more. "No, Mother." She sighed. "I told you, I ate at Ami's house." Her brain told her mouth to stop right there, but her mouth chose to listen to her tired and irritated gut instead. "Besides, I can fix myself something to eat. I'm more used to that, remember?"

There was a pause from the kitchen. "What's that supposed to mean, Mimi?" The placidity had suddenly vanished.

"It's not like you're here most nights...or at all." That last part was supposed to be under her breath, but her mouth betrayed her once again. At this point Artemis wisely abandoned his post and headed upstairs to Minako's room.

"Mimi!" Her mother's voice, now hurt and angry, preceded her appearance at the doorway to the dining room. "You know how hard I try to be here! But I have a lot of obligations and responsibilities..."

Minako let out a half-laugh full of disbelief. "Oh, you're right! All the cocktail parties and charity dinners must just eat up your life. How do you find the time?" It was the same fight...the exact same fight. Every. Single. Time.

"Aino Minako!" It seemed every mother, no matter how unskilled, was gifted with The Voice and her mother whipped it out now. "I am your mother and you will not speak to me that way."

"Sorry mom." Minako replied, her voice dripping with cold sarcasm. "I guess I just forgot."

"Go to your room, young lady!" Her mother shouted, and Minako stalked past her towards the stairs.

"I was already on my way!" Minako snapped over her shoulder in a tone that clearly said she viewed this as a voluntary decision.

"How did I raise such a daughter?" Minako's mother gave a small, hurt moan.

Minako was halfway up the stairs, and at that, her hand clenched on the banister so tightly her knuckles turned white. "You didn't raise me at all, Mother." She said in the nastiest tone she could muster, looking down at her feet. "You've never been around enough. And you know what? I don't really care anymore. Just don't expect me to jump for joy every couple of months when you get the urge to play house."

Her mother made an angry reply, but Minako didn't hear it as she ran up the stairs and burst into her room, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it. She leaned back against it, tilting her head back with her eyes closed, letting out a long, shuddering sigh.

"Minako?" Artemis spoke timidly from where he stood on her bed. Minako immediately flung herself on the mattress, folding her arms gently around the cat and crying softly into his side.

She hated fighting with her mother like that...it dredged all her hurt feelings up from wherever she tried to keep them hidden away. And even worse was the guilt she always felt afterwards. It was old, sour guilt mixed with new. It was the guilt of a little girl who wondered if she were somehow responsible for her parents never wanting to spend time with her. It was also the more adult guilt of a young woman who knew very well she wasn't helping anything by letting her emotions push her into these verbal brawls with her mother.

As she began to cry herself out, she could feel Artemis' sandpaper tongue licking the tears from her cheek. She lifted her head and looked at him with a tearful smile. "Thanks, Artemis." She said, gently stroking his back.

"You know I'm here for you, Mina." He said, nuzzling her cheek once again.

"I know..." She pulled herself into a sitting position and gathered the white cat in her lap. "I don't know what I would have done without you all these years." She said sadly.

"Don't even bother thinking about it." Artemis said with a smile. "I'll always be here for you."

"Thanks." Minako replied, a more genuine smile on her lips now. She sighed deeply, and that sigh turned into a yawn. "I'm pretty wiped, Artemis. I think I'll get ready for bed." She paused. "Are you up to speed on everything that happened today?"

Artemis nodded. "I was just coming home from Usagi's house. Luna filled me in on everything."

"Did you two have any good ideas?" She sighed again as Artemis shook his head.

"Nothing. Did you, Setsuna and Ami come up with anything?"

"No..." -Ami!- Minako was suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to see the blue-haired Senshi again.

"Minako? Are you okay?"

Blinking, Minako realized she had fazed out in the process of leaving her bed. "Oh...yes. Just thinking." She smiled.

"What about, I wonder?" Artemis muttered sarcastically, and Minako dropped a pillow over him.

"None of your business!" She stuck her tongue out at the buried cat. As she dressed for bed, she found the idea of going to see Ami increasingly dominating her thoughts. She knew she couldn't...it was too late, her mother would be home. But still...seeing Ami, talking to Ami, would make her feel so much better. She silently debated calling her, but decided against it. She really wanted to see her face to face.

Once she was in her pajamas and settled into bed, she let out a last sigh. "Good night, Artemis."

"Good night Minako." Artemis replied from where he was curled near Minako's feet. "I hope you feel better in the morning."

"I'm sure I will." Minako replied, knowing it would be true. A good night's sleep was the best thing to get the sour taste of the fight out of her mouth. -Second best, anyway.- Minako thought to herself, a vision of Ami twirling through her head again. She shook her head and closed her eyes. She could talk to Ami in the morning.

Despite her weariness from the eventful day, sleep was elusive prey for Minako that night. Her mind was buzzing too much, the hurt from her fight with her mother swirling along with her sympathy for Rei's plight, her plans for Tachyon's future attacks, her continued puzzlement about the enemy's true goal and behind it all her still-consuming desire to go see Ami.

And that wasn't all. There was the dream. That strange, all-too-real dream she had had twice now. It was there as well, pulsing behind her consciousness. She knew somehow that it was just sitting there, waiting for her to fall asleep, and she really didn't feel up to a dream so vivid and frightening that night.

So the best she was able to manage was a fitful doze, tossing and turning in bed until Artemis had moved himself to the soft chair in Minako's room with a series of sleepy, dissatisfied grumbles. And then, for no reason Minako could discern, full wakefulness hit her and could not be dispelled. She glanced at her clock. It was only half-past one in the morning. Perfect.

She kicked at her sheets, turning over and over again, trying to find a comfortable spot to little effect. Finally she gave in to insomnia and sat up. "Okay..." She whispered. "No sleep tonight. What are we going to do instead, Minako?" She looked around the room, illuminated dimly by the moonlight coming through her window.

She had a new video game...if she turned it down she could play without waking Artemis...but she didn't really feel like it. There was the new book that Makoto's friend had just published...but she didn't feel like reading, either. Her eyes fell on her schoolbooks. -You could always study.- She thought in Ami's voice, then chuckled softly. Her eyes went to the Sailor Mercury plushie she had won from the crane machine.

That was the real problem...she still wanted to see Ami. She hugged the plushie to her, then stopped, holding it out at arm's length to look at it. An idea struck her. It was an...interesting idea. It was dramatic, romantic and very slightly insane. A slow grin appeared on her features. It was perfect.

She slid out of bed, murmuring to Artemis that she was leaving. The cat gave a sleepy assent without really listening and Minako, not wanting her guardian to worry, took a moment to write a note and slip it next to him. She tiptoed to her closet and got dressed, then crept out into the hallway, pausing by her mother's room to make sure she was asleep. She went downstairs, put on her shoes and coat, and silently let herself out.

Once she had achieved the freedom of the sidewalk beyond her yard, she giggled into her hands, her eyes dancing with excitement. This was going to be absolutely perfect!

-------------------

Ami had settled down to sleep just a short while ago, her homework complete and her study goals for the day achieved. She'd be tired in the morning, but she always did her best work at night. She and Setsuna had talked into the evening, trying to find a way to help Rei. In the end they were forced to conclude that unless one of them had a flash of inspiration, they would be forced to wait for Tachyon to show her hand once again.

Shortly afterwards, Ami's mother came home. Without fumbling, Ami introduced Setsuna as a friend of Haruka and Michiru's, whom Dr. Mizuno had already met, and explained that she had been helping Ami with some of her more advanced subjects. Her mother accepted this explanation without comment and invited Setsuna to dinner, an invitation the tall Senshi accepted with a small, amused smile that made Ami nervous.

Dinner passed without any huge incident, although Ami and Setsuna did have to relate the semi-fictional tale of being trapped in the subway during the strange riot. Dr. Mizuno was extremely relieved that Ami and her friends hadn't been seriously hurt, and added, "You seem to be a magnet for this kind of trouble, Ami...you always seem to be around when it happens." Ami just swallowed and forced a natural sounding laugh about her 'bad luck.'

Setsuna left after dinner and Ami caught her mother giving Setsuna one of her inquisitive, questioning looks that made her more nervous still. Not wanting to give her cunning mother the chance to trap her in a potentially catastrophic conversation, she quickly pled a lot of schoolwork and retreated to her room for the remainder of the night.

All that had been troubling her mind to a great degree when she finally got into bed, but her weariness had soon caught up with her anyway. But she hadn't been truly asleep for more than fifteen minutes before she was awakened by a very out of place noise. It was coming from the sliding glass door that led out onto her small balcony. It sounded like someone was...knocking?

Sure she was mistaken, she got out of bed with her transformation pen held tightly, just in case. She opened the curtain a bit to look outside and gasped, flinging the curtain open without hesitation. She blinked and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't mistaken, but nothing changed.

There she was, goggles and all, holding a pure white lily to her face as she leaned against the balcony's railing. It was Sailor V.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE- A different kind of cliffhanger here, eh? Be ready for some serious sweetness in the next chapter!

I do not own Sailormoon and make no claim on any of it's characters, only the one's I've invented. You keep your grubby paws offa them!


	24. Chapter 24

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 24

Ami quickly slid the sliding glass door open, feeling the chill winter wind enter her room and whirl around her nightgown-clad form. It was bitter cold, but as always she registered it as little more than uncomfortably cool.

Sailor V just smiled at her, lowering the flower she held in her hand slightly. The moonlight shone down behind her, catching in her hair as it streamed out in the wind and illuminating her in silvery-gray tones. She looked like a ghost, a vision out a dream. -Or a fantasy.- A part of Ami's mind whispered at her teasingly, and she blushed in response.

Then Sailor V was walking towards her. She lifted the white lily...Ami's favorite flower...and gently touched it to Ami's lips. With hands that shook gently, she cupped the hand that held the blossom, feeling Minako's warmth through the white glove. "Am I still really cool?" Sailor V asked in a voice just over a whisper, a light smile playing across her face.

Ami smiled shyly, feeling that blush climbing her cheeks again. "Of course." She murmured. Sailor V handed her the flower and she held it to her breast. "How did you get this?" She asked softly, looking down at the lily.

Sailor V chuckled. "I got lucky." She said, thinking of someone who left a vase full of them on their balcony about ten floors down. Those that remained would be frostbitten by morning, so she didn't think that the one would be missed.

"I..." Ami looked to the other girl, down to the flower and back again. She seemed lost for words. "I can't believe you're here..." Sailor V stepped right up against her and slid an arm around her waist, using the other to gently stroke her cheek.

"I wanted to be with you tonight." She murmured. "I needed to be."

Ami smiled into Sailor V's eyes for a moment before sliding her arms loosely around her neck. They embraced warmly for a moment, and then Sailor V found Ami's lips with hers and for awhile, there was nothing else.

Then the wind suddenly gusted around them, and Ami felt Sailor V shiver. She broke the kiss with a tiny chuckle, her voice a bit breathless. "Should we go inside?" The other girl nodded, and as they walked through the doorway Ami thought to ask, "How did you get up here anyway?"

"I climbed." Sailor V said with a shrug. Ami blinked in shock and she turned around, rushing to the balcony to look down.

"You climbed!" She gasped.

"Well, I guess I jumped." Sailor V said, miming jumping with her hand as she approached the balcony again. Ami just looked back and forth between the street far below and her love, aghast.

"Mina-chan this is the penthouse! Do you have any idea how high up we are?"

"I jumped it, remember?" Sailor V said, sounding faintly amused. "Believe me, I know." For the first time Ami noticed that her breathing was a bit labored and her cheeks were pink with exertion, more than just from their kiss. Ami laughed helplessly and hugged her tightly, slowly backing her through the doorway.

"You're crazy!" She exclaimed, her voice muffled in Sailor V's shoulder. "You could have killed yourself." Sailor V put her hands on Ami's waist and kissed her forehead.

"It was worth it for the look in your eyes." She murmured. Ami laughed again and turned her face up to look at her.

"Crazy." She said softly, shaking her head with a smile. She gave her another brief kiss before slipping away to look into the hallway, making sure her mother hadn't been disturbed. She heard nothing, so went back inside, closing and locking the door behind her, just in case, just as Sailor V was closing the door to the balcony.

Ami walked over to her desk and carefully placed the lily in a bowl of flowers that was already there, arranging it so it sat in the center of the other blooms. As she did so, she felt Sailor V slip behind her, placing her hands on Ami's stomach as she placed her chin on her shoulder. Ami turned to face her, lifting her hand to remove the blonde hero's goggles and place them on the desk. "Sailor V..." She whispered, cupping her love's cheeks in her hands with a smile. "But I love you as Minako most of all."

In response, Sailor V closed her eyes and smiled. There was a soft golden glow, and then Minako was in her arms. Ami noted that it looked like Minako had dressed rather hurriedly, just wearing a t-shirt with a short skirt and black legwarmers. Looking into her eyes, Ami was also surprised to see hurt there. It wasn't directed at her, but she thought it was probably part of what had brought Minako to her that night.

She didn't ask, though. Minako might not want to talk about it. That hurt a little, Ami had to admit, and she wished that Minako could open up to her a little more. But she'd come to Ami for comfort, and for now, that was enough.

Silently, Ami took Minako's hand and led her to her unmade bed. They both lay on their sides, close but not quite touching, just looking into each other's eyes in the dim light from outside, drinking in the emotion that dwelt there. Ami felt Minako's hand caress her face with a feathery touch, as if she were something rare and beautiful that could break with a careless touch. Ami smiled a little, as she felt that description more belonged to Minako herself, even if she didn't know it.

Minako opened her mouth and started to speak, but then closed and swallowed. She took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Ami's, and spoke again. "I had a fight with my mom tonight." She whispered. And she began to tell the story. She kept looking into Ami's eyes, and Ami could see the obvious effort it was taking Minako to do so.

Ami listened carefully, keeping her expression gentle and attentive. -She's doing this for me!- Part of her mind exulted. -No.- She told herself. -She's doing this for her. She's tired of holding her hurt inside and letting it poison her. But she's doing this because of me. Because she trusts me. Because, at last, she's found someone she can really confide in.- And that thought sent a deep, warm rush through Ami's body.

As Minako related her final remark to her mother and her rush back to her room, her voice broke, and a tear slid down her cheek. Ami slid her arms protectively around her and pulled her close, kissing the tear away. Minako drew in a shaky breath and buried her face in Ami's shoulder, who turned onto her back to let Minako lay against her. She felt wetness on her shoulder and Minako's shoulders began to shake silently.

Ami just held her, stroking her long golden hair as she let the other girl cry herself out. She realized then just how much Minako relied on her, how much she needed someone she could learn to trust, to love. It made her feel very protective, but at the same time a flash of doubt sent a shiver through her heart. Despite all she had survived, Ami still had trouble thinking of herself as a strong person, and she worried suddenly if she had the inner strength to be the one Minako needed.

But then Minako was looking up at her, and the doubts were chased away as she saw the look in her eyes. For this girl, Ami could be anything. "I'm sorry Mina-chan." She whispered, stroking her hair again.

"Yeah..." Minako sighed and laid the side of her head against Ami's shoulder, her fingers lightly playing with the lace trim on Ami's nightgown. "We have this fight each time she tries something like this. I wish she'd just give it up."

"I don't know..." Ami said softly, musing. "I think it might show that she cares, in a way." Minako looked up at her disbelievingly, and Ami smiled and shook her head. "I'm not defending her...from the little I've seen of her, and what you've told me, I really don't like her. And she's been a terrible, shameful excuse for a parent." Minako's eyes softened, and that alone made Ami sad for her...that her relationship with her mother was that bad.

"But I still think it shows that she cares, deep down, beneath all the selfishness and shallowness." Minako puffed out her cheeks and sighed.

"Maybe that's right...maybe I even know it, and that's why I feel so guilty whenever we fight like this."

"Maybe." Ami agreed gently. "And maybe it might be a chance to sit down and talk with her." She ran her fingers lightly through Minako's silken hair. "I hate seeing you so upset, Mina-chan." She murmured.

"Yeah..." Minako sighed again. "I don't think we're ever going to be friends. I'm not sure I'd even want that anymore." She gave a weak little chuckle and turned her eyes up once again. "At this point I'd settle for not screaming at each other if we're in the same room."

Ami chuckled in return. "That would be nice." She nodded. "I love you Minako."

Minako replied by inching up a bit until their faces met and looking again into Ami's eyes. Ami could see her love reflected there, and smiled. Ami offered up her lips, and Minako accepted them eagerly, bringing them into a kiss that made the room spin around her. The kiss was more than passionate, it was hungry, and Ami returned it fervently. A very faint voice warned her that she needed to be careful, that in the wake of the churning emotions Minako's confession had engendered there was a great danger of the two of them losing control.

For the time being Ami chose to ignore that voice.

Instead, the kiss deepened even further, and Ami felt Minako's hands sliding against her. Then Minako's lips left her, and a small sigh of disappointment escaped her, only to turn into a sharp gasp as Minako found her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed and she tilted her head to the side, arching her back up against Minako's body.

A small bite sent an electric shock through Ami's body, and she moaned gently in response. Minako's hand suddenly covered her mouth, and she could feel more than hear the blonde senshi giggle against her neck. A sudden fear of a mark she couldn't hide brought Ami back to herself just enough to see what they had been doing.

She realized with a small shock that her nightgown had been pushed up over her hips and that Minako's hands were caressing her beneath the rest. And with an equal amount of surprise, Ami found her hands on Minako's hips and realized that she had pushed her skirt down to her knees.

Quickly, Ami pulled her neck away from Minako's mouth. Minako chased it for a moment, but then Ami placed her hands on Minako's shoulders. "Mina-chan..." She said, panting softly. Part of her absolutely hated herself for what she was about to say. "We should stop."

Minako stopped and slowly removed her hands from beneath Ami's nightgown. She used them to lever herself over Ami a bit and look into her eyes. There was barely restrained desire burning in them, and Ami shivered a little, realizing that her eyes must be much the same. Then a flicker of surprise appeared on the blonde girl's face as she realized, as Ami had, how far things had gone.

"Wow..." Minako whispered softly, laying against Ami's side with her head resting gently on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Ami agreed, squirming a bit to help her pull her nightgown down once again. She tilted her head to the side. "Mina-chan...make sure you didn't leave a mark."

"Right." Minako wriggled up again to look. There was a long pause. When she spoke again, her voice sounded a little nervous and a little amused. "Well..."

"Minako!" Ami groaned softly, clapping a hand to her neck. "I don't have long hair! What am I going to do?"

"It's pretty close to the shoulder...maybe nobody will notice." Minako replied, still sounding amused.

"I'm glad you think this is funny..." Ami grumbled, blushing.

"I'm sorry Ami." Minako whispered huskily, her hand tiptoeing across Ami's stomach. The blue haired girl's breath suddenly caught in her throat. She felt Minako's warm breath on her ear. "Let me make it up to you..."

Minako lightly sucked Ami's earlobe into her mouth and Ami gasped, grabbing Minako's shoulder tightly. Her blood started pounding in her ears once again, and as she felt Minako's teeth against her sensitive skin she moaned loudly. "Mina-chan!"

Immediately Minako's hand was over her mouth and Minako was looking into her eyes, laughing silently. "Ami! You're too loud!" She whispered.

Ami blushed deeply. "We should stop anyway, remember?" She whispered back.

Minako bit her lip guiltily and nodded. "Right..." She sighed languidly and cuddled to Ami's side. "Sorry Ami." She said softly.

Ami smiled a little. "Don't be...I didn't want to stop either...but..." She trailed off, and Minako nodded again.

"I understand...I feel the same way." She began kicking her feet and Ami looked down at her curiously. Minako smiled up at her. "Sorry...I just hate laying in bed with a skirt on." She winked teasingly. "And it was riding pretty low anyway."

Ami nodded with a smile, blushing softly. She turned her head into Minako's hair, taking a deep breath as she enjoyed its warm fragrance. She felt Minako's arms tightening slightly around her as they snuggled against one another. The burning desire she had felt just minutes ago was finally fading, leaving a powerful warmth and contentment in it's place. It occurred to Ami then that she couldn't remember ever being so happy as she felt in that moment.

"I'm glad you came tonight." She whispered into Minako's hair. "You make me so happy."

"Thank you Ami." Minako replied, cuddling closer. "Thank you...for everything."

-------------------

Minako cracked her eyes open blearily. Something woke her up...what was it?

"Ami! Are you awake?"

Never in her life had Minako gone from sleep to full wakefulness in such a short amount of time. She sat bolt upright, looking around wildly. She felt panic rising in her throat as she saw the sunlight streaming into the bedroom. When had she gone to sleep? There was another knock at the door.

"Come on sleepy...you'll be late at this rate!"

Minako turned to Ami to wake her, and paused. The blue haired girl was smiling sweetly in her sleep, and looked so heart-stoppingly lovely that just for a moment Minako forgot everything else.

Then Ami's mother shook the doorknob and brought reality crashing back. Minako knew that Ami wanted her mother to know about the two of them, but she was positive that the discovery of a half-naked Aino Minako in her daughter's bed was not how Ami wanted her to find out.

"Ami!" She hissed, lightly shaking her girlfriend's shoulder. "Ami, you gotta wake up!"

Ami stirred and opened her eyes. She saw Minako and for an instant her smile was like the sun coming up. Then panic flooded her features.

"Mizuno Ami!" Her mother's voice sounded again, sterner this time. She knocked a bit harder. "You can't leave your door locked if you're going to study all night! Wake up!"

"I...I'm awake!" Ami called out, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I'll be out in just a minute!"

"Alright...breakfast will be ready soon." Minako heard footsteps fading down the hallway. She and Ami stared at each other for a moment.

Then both leapt out of bed. Ami rushed to the closet and Minako got on her knees, looking around the bed for her skirt. She found it, but as she was pulling it on Ami came back. "No...here!" She hissed, pushing a school uniform into Minako's arms. "We're almost the same size, so it should fit. If we're careful, we might be able to sneak you out of here."

Minako had a slightly dazed expression on her face. "But...I don't have my bag..."

"We can pick it up on the way to school, right?" Minako nodded. "Good." Ami placed her hands on Minako's shoulders and turned her around. "No peeking." She admonished, then took a second to lean over and give the blonde girl a kiss on the cheek. "I'm still glad you came." She said softly, and Minako smiled.

"So am I." They both changed into Ami's school uniform, and though sorely tempted, Minako avoided the urge to peek. Ami was just slightly taller than her, and with a rueful smile she realized that the blouse was noticeably loose around the chest, but overall it wasn't a bad fit.

Ami was at her bedroom door, peeking out. She turned back, looking pensive. "Alright...I'll go eat. I'll try to go slow so Mom finishes first and heads into the bathroom. Then, I'll come get you and we can get you outside."

"Sounds like a plan." Minako smiled, and Ami gave her a quick hug, which Minako returned with a kiss. "Good luck!" She whispered. Ami nodded and took a deep breath. She left the bedroom trying to look as if she were still bleary and waking up. Minako listened at the door after she left, but couldn't hear anything more than muffled muttering. She went back to the bed and sat down, tapping her hands against her legs nervously.

-Still glad you came?- The little voice in her mind asked.

"Yeah..." Minako murmured to herself. "Yeah, I am." She smiled a little. "This is even kind of fun. Sort of exhilarating, you know?"

-So you don't mind that Ami's mother might find out about you?- Minako felt a quick, icy stab of fear at that thought.

"Well...I didn't say that. It's still way too soon for that. Even Ami thinks so."

-Are you sure about that? After all, she doesn't know about your doubts and fears about yourself, does she? And if it wasn't for that, what would be holding you back?-

"Well...nothing." Minako curled her knees up until her chin was resting on top of them. She didn't really want to think about any of this right now. She tried to concentrate on listening to the dim sounds of conversation from the kitchen once again.

-You're braver than you think, Minako. In the end, the only one you're afraid of admitting your feelings to is yourself.-

"What's that supposed to..." Minako paused, a sudden feeling of cold confusion settling over her. "Was that my thought?" She whispered, looking around. -Hello?- She called out into the vaults of her mind. -Is anyone there?-

Nothing...at least nothing that felt out of the ordinary. She looked around nervously and closed her eyes, listening now to her own thoughts, for anything that felt like it wasn't hers. Just as she decided the excitement of the morning was making her paranoid, the doorknob began to open. Taken completely by surprise, Minako tried to jump up and succeeded in tumbling over the side of the bed in an undignified heap.

"Mina-chan?" Ami whispered, closing the door behind her and looking around. Minako lifted her hand to wave at Ami from the other side of the bed. The blue-haired girl rushed over and took her arm, helping her up. "Are you okay?" She asked, smoothing out the sleeves on her uniform.

"Fine...you just kind of took me by surprise." Minako smiled, and Ami nodded.

"Hurry...Mom's in the bathroom. I'll meet you downstairs, okay?" Minako nodded, and the quietly rushed to the apartment door. Ami held it open and Minako stepped past her, giving her a quick peck on the lips as she did so.

"Ami?" Dr. Mizuno stepped into the living room. "Is someone at the door?" Ami's eyes widened and she looked at Minako, who gave her a helpless shrug.

"Um...yes, Mom. It's Minako."

Wearing what she hoped would read as a casual smile, Minako stepped back inside "So close!" She mouthed to Ami as she was passing her. "Hello Dr. Mizuno." She said, bowing politely.

"Minako-chan, good morning!" Dr. Mizuno returned the bow with a smile. "It's nice to see you again. Ami is usually the one to pick you up, isn't she?"

"Yes...but I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep." Minako smiled a bit more genuinely. It always felt better when she could twist the truth rather than tell an absolute lie.

"Well, if you had come just a few minutes earlier, Ami would still be asleep!" Dr. Mizuno covered her mouth and chuckled, and Minako was suddenly struck by how much her mannerisms matched Ami's. "You will get to sleep earlier tonight, won't you Ami?"

Ami nodded quickly. "Of course." She said with a smile. She picked up her bag from a nearby armchair. "Well, we should probably get going..."

"You haven't brushed your teeth yet." Dr. Mizuno reminded Ami gently. Fortunately Minako had been leaving once again and her huge wince was hidden by the door.

"Oh, right!" Ami said, laughing softly. Her expression was natural, but her eyes looked strained. Minako hoped her mother didn't notice. "Where is my head this morning?"

"More sleep, Mizuno-san." Dr. Mizuno said in a mock-severe tone. Ami gave Minako one more look, as if to say 'I'll be back soon!' and hurried back into the hallway, leaving Minako alone with her mom. There was a moment of quiet.

"How is Rei?" Dr. Mizuno asked. "She's due to get those stitches looked at tomorrow."

"Oh..." Minako smiled a bit. "I don't know how well you know Rei, but she's handling being hurt about as well as you'd expect."

Ami's mother chuckled again. "Oh, yes. I can imagine. But is she alright otherwise?" She seemed worried. "It was such a strange wound."

-She cares enough to actually worry about Ami's friends.- Minako thought with a wistful mental sigh, then nodded. "Oh yes...just eager to take the stitches out and get back to normal."

"Right..." Dr. Mizuno trailed off thoughtfully, and Minako hoped that Ami would return soon. This woman was too sharp for Minako's comfort. "On that subject, how are your ribs?" Dr. Mizuno asked casually.

"Oh, they're fine." Minako said, unable to stop herself from letting the words tumble out.

"Fine? It's only been a few weeks." Dr. Mizuno lifted in eyebrow in surprise. Though, Minako thought with a cold feeling, it didn't look like she was all that surprised.

"Well...as fine as you could expect..." She said with a rueful smile, patting her side for demonstration. "They really only hurt if I put a strain on them."

"Ah...that's good then. It sounds like they'll be completely healed before too long." She smiled a bit. "Something told me you'd heal fast."

"I guess I eat my vegetables." Minako said with a soft laugh, mentally berating herself for such a lame comment. Fortunately, Ami reappeared at that moment.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight Mom!" Ami called over her shoulder, hustling Minako back through the doorway.

"Have a good day you two." Dr. Mizuno said cheerfully as the door closed behind them. They began walking faster and faster towards the elevators at the end of the hallway, to the point that they were practically sprinting when they reached them. As they stepped inside and the doors slid closed, they looked at each other and began laughing.

Minako leaned against the wall of the elevator, hugging herself. Ami stood by the button panel, holding her bookbag in front of her with both hands as her shoulders shook with helpless laughter. "Oh...oh my God, I can't believe we got away with it!" Minako laughed.

"I know...I thought we were doomed for sure when my mom came out!" Ami said, tears of laughter on her cheeks. "And you almost fell over when she reminded me to brush my teeth!"

"How many times did escape have to be snatched from my grasp!" Minako moaned comically, miming grabbing something. She stood up straight and walked over to Ami, giving her an exuberant hug. "You did great!" She said, kissing her softly.

"Thank you." Ami said, blushing shyly. She returned the kiss. "Oh...here." She reached into her bag and pulled out a hard-boiled egg wrapped in napkins. "I was able to smuggle this away from breakfast. It's better than nothing, right?"

"Much!" Minako said, suddenly remembering that an early dinner yesterday was the last time she had eaten. She devoured the egg in just a couple of bites. "Much better." She smiled. "Thank you Ami...it was really sweet of you to think to take that."

"You're welcome." Ami said, blushing again.

The elevator reached the lobby, and the two girls left the apartment building, heading down the sidewalk towards Minako's house. They walked side by side in silence for a couple of minutes, in the cold winter sunshine.

"You're right, by the way." Minako finally said. "Your mother knows something...or suspects something, at least. About the Sailor Senshi, I mean."

"Why?" Ami asked nervously. "What did she say?" Minako gave her a quick sketch of the conversation and Ami sighed once she was finished. "I'll have to tell her soon." She said in a tired voice. "About everything."

"Just wait a little longer." Minako urged, a sudden surge of panic making her feel an equally strong surge of guilt. "I know it's hard, Ami. And I know it's not fair to you...but please, just a little longer. I'll be ready soon...I'm sorry..."

Ami sighed deeply, watching the steam of her breath dissipate. "Alright Mina-chan." She said with a small smile. "When you're ready." She looked at the sidewalk worriedly. "I just hope she doesn't decide she's sure enough to confront me first."

"She won't...I promise we'll tell her everything before that." Minako said with a small smile. Ami smiled wanly back, and Minako felt guilt stabbing at her once again. -It has to be soon.- She told herself angrily. She reached out and found Ami's hand, giving it a small squeeze. Ami blinked up at her and gave her a full smile, squeezing her hand back.

"I know it's not something we can do often." Ami said softly a few minutes later. "But I really enjoyed sleeping with you. It felt so nice..."

"I know..." Minako smiled as well, a small blush on her cheeks. "That made the panic this morning totally worth it. I don't think I've ever slept so well. I didn't even have that dream..." She suddenly felt silly bringing that up and let the sentence trail away.

"What dream?" Ami asked, and Minako waved her free hand dismissively.

"Oh...nothing. Just a stupid dream I've been having lately that wakes me up. It's probably just because I'm worried about the new enemies." Ami nodded and squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"Well, give me a call the next time you have it. Maybe it will make you feel better." Minako blushed deeply and smiled softly over at her girlfriend.

"You really are too sweet." She said softly. "Thank you Ami."

"You're welcome." Ami said, looking lovingly back into her eyes.

"Last night probably spoiled me." Minako said with a chuckle. "I'm probably never going to feel rested again unless I'm sleeping with you."

"Oh really now?" A sudden voice from above them made both girls jump. Artemis was sitting atop the wall next to the sidewalk, cleaning his paw. "The note you left said that you'd be back before dawn, so I was getting worried." The white cat said, putting his paw down. "But I guess there's no need to ask what you two have been up to, is there?" He grinned down at the two of them.

Minako felt her cheeks growing hot and saw that Ami was blushing furiously as well. "That's not what I meant and you know it Artemis!" She said, stomping her foot a bit at the insufferably smug looking cat.

"I don't know any such thing!" Artemis said innocently, standing up and following them as they continued on walking down the sidewalk. "Look, it's certainly none of my business, but maybe you should hold off on school nights, hm? You seem a little cranky."

"Artemis!" Both Ami and Minako made identical shocked exclamations. That, apparently, was the breaking point for the white cat, who fell into such a raucous bout of laughter that he tumbled off the far side of the wall with a yowl.

"Serves you right cat!" Minako said loftily, tossing back her long hair.

"You're a cruel woman Minako!" Artemis called back, and Ami covered her mouth to laugh softly. Minako turned to look at Ami laugh and she leaned over to give the blue-haired girl a quick kiss on the lips.

"You're so pretty when you laugh." She said, and Ami blushed, still laughing.

They continued on towards school by way of Minako's house, still hand in hand. Artemis still followed after them, chuckling at intervals, but they chose to take the high road and ignore the cat. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain sometimes." Minako said softly. "Seeing you happy like that...I just wish I could make you happy all the time."

Ami brought Minako's hand up to her mouth and kissed it. "Don't be silly, Minako." She replied. "You do."

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE- Sometimes you feel like fluff! Sometimes you don't...Obviously, this is one of those times when I did. I think in a way this might be the midpoint of the story, and I wanted to hit it on an up note. Hope you liked it! And if you've been missing the Outer Senshi, don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot of them up ahead!

Sailormoon and all associated characters belong to someone. All the original characters belong to me. Know this, love it, and move on!


	25. Chapter 25

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 25

Makoto sat on a bench beneath a tree with a serene smile. She unwrapped her carefully prepared lunch and was about to eat the first of the fried shrimp when she suddenly had the unpleasant and overpowering sensation of being watched. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she turned slowly, jumping as she saw not one, but two sets of blue eyes staring at her.

Minako and Usagi smiled at her pleadingly. "Mako-chan..." Usagi started, but Minako rushed in to interrupt her.

"Please, Makoto-san...I'm so hungry..."

"I'm hungrier!" Usagi declared strongly, stepping in front of Minako and bending down to drool at Makoto's lunch.

Minako pushed her out of the way. "Don't listen to her Mako-chan." She said, dropping to her knees and begging. Makoto recoiled a little bit on the bench, a helpless expression on her face. "She ate her lunch during first period...I saw her! I had no lunch at all, and barely any breakfast. I'm dying of hunger...please, kind Mako-chan...have mercy!"

Usagi had traveled to the other side of the bench and now seized Makoto's arm. Minako immediately grabbed the other. "You know I appreciate your cooking more than anyone, Mako-chan!" Usagi pleaded.

"When have I ever asked you for anything Mako-chan?"

"Mako-chan!"

"Mako-chan!" Makoto looked around, trying to free herself, and then saw Ami walking up, an amused expression on her face. Makoto stared at her entreatingly.

"Mina-chan!" Ami said with a small laugh, placing a hand on the blonde Senshi's shoulder. Makoto was a bit surprised to see the usually manic girl release her arm immediately. "I'll share my lunch with you, okay?"

"Alright!" Minako smiled and nodded.

-I guess Ami's a good influence on her.- Makoto chuckled to herself, then froze as a low voice spoke up on her other side.

"Mako-chan..." Usagi was staring at her lunch again with barely-restrained need.

The lunches were split. Usagi sat next to Makoto on the bench while Ami and Minako sat on the low concrete divider around the tree next to the other two. Makoto managed to get away with giving only a third of her meal to Usagi, and as the pigtailed girl ate she smiled over at where Ami was sharing her lunch with her girlfriend. They were just too cute.

Then she saw something else and tilted her head to get a better look. "Ami-chan...there's something on your neck." The blue-haired girl immediately clapped a hand to her neck, her cheeks turning crimson.

"Oh...that's really nothing...it's just...um..." Ami looked over at Minako, who was looking back at her, a small blush on her cheeks as well. With a flash of perception, a sly grin appeared on Usagi's features.

"What was that, Ami-chan? I don't think I really caught that..." Now Makoto was looking over curiously as well. Minako quickly reached over and wrapped an arm protectively around Ami's neck, pulling her close with a grin.

"Don't be silly Usagi-chan, it's really nothing." Usagi opened her mouth to say something, but Minako cut her off with a wide, innocent smile. "Now, about what you asked me in first period...of course, if anyone asks, you were at my house Saturday night."

Usagi shut her mouth with an audible snap and a bright red flush climbed up her face as she looked at Ami and Makoto, who had turned to stare at her instead. "Touche Minako-chan." Makoto said softly, then turned away, staring into the distance. That got all three of the other girls turning to look at her. She seemed oblivious, simply staring blankly with a faintly worried expression, her hands folded in front of her mouth.

"Mako-chan?" Ami asked gently. Makoto started and turned back with a small smile.

"Oh, sorry...I guess I'm just a little worried about Rei." She sighed. "I was going to tell you guys later...I guess she didn't go to school again today. And her grandfather says she's barely left her room."

The statement seemed to bring everyone down. "This is so unlike Rei." Ami said softly.

"But she's been acting a little funny for awhile now, you know?" Minako pointed out.

"No..." Makoto said thoughtfully. "I think this is different."

"Poor Rei." Usagi sighed sadly. "I wish there was something we could do for her."

Ami sighed as well. "If only Setsuna and I could think of some way..." Minako's mouth quirked a little at that, immediately translating it as 'It's my fault for not thinking of something.'

"Ami-chan, it's not your fault." She said firmly, reaching over to place her hand over Ami's. "It's Tachyon's." She looked around at all three girls. "Right? And we'll do the one thing we can for Rei...the next time Tachyon shows herself, we'll get Rei's power back. One way or the other."

"Right!" Makoto agreed with a brash smile.

"Yeah!" Usagi chimed in. Ami smiled and nodded as well a moment later.

"After all," Minako said with a confident smile. "She's just one crazy little girl. How hard can she be to outsmart?"

-------------------

Later that day, Setsuna entered the home she shared with the other Outer Senshi, pulling off her long coat as she shook off the chill from outside. As she kicked her shoes off, she saw Haruka and Michiru coming downstairs. Michiru was bundled up quite tightly, Setsuna noticed. "Hi Setsuna." Haruka said with a smile. "Home so soon?"

"Just for a little while." Setsuna replied. "I still have to go to the store and buy something for dinner. Where are the two of you off to?"

"Rei's shrine." Michiru said. "I'm going to try to cheer her up."

"Both of you?" Setsuna asked, lifting an eyebrow. Somehow she didn't think seeing Michiru with her lover was going to help Rei much.

"Oh no, I'm just providing transportation." Haruka grinned. "I need to feel the wind in my hair."

"The wind in your..." Setsuna turned to look out the window next to the door. "Haruka, it's negative five outside." Haruka just shrugged. Michiru rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly, a fond smile on her face.

"So we'll be back in time to eat." Michiru said, wrapping a scarf tight around her neck.

"Alright...good luck. Tell Rei I said hello if you'll think it will help." The two left, and Setsuna proceeded into the living room.

"Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru was at the top of the stairs. "Are you going out again?"

"In a little while, little one. Why do you ask?"

Hotaru smiled shyly. "I was wondering if Chibi-Usa could have dinner with us tonight."

Setsuna smiled gently. "I don't see any problem with that, if you two don't mind joining me at the grocery store."

"Of course not...I'll call her right away! Thank you Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru dashed back to her room with a wide smile on her face, and Setsuna smiled lovingly as she settled into the couch to rest her feet.

Haruka, meanwhile, had made almost unbelievable time in getting to the Hikawa Shrine. Once she had been forced to slow down by the smaller residential streets around the Shrine she had relented and pulled up the top, a fact that Michiru was extremely grateful for as she rubbed her gloved hands together.

"Well, here we are." Haruka said as they pulled to the curb in front of the steps leading up to the Shrine. "You're a braver woman than I, Michiru."

"Thank you." Michiru said with a smile, leaning over and giving her love a light kiss on the lips. "Mmm, you're cold. Why do you always insist on driving with the top down in the dead of winter?"

"Why else?" Haruka murmured. "Warming up with you is just so much fun." She chuckled as she Michiru back, a kiss that Michiru returned with gentle passion before breaking away.

"Later Haruka." She said softly. "When I get back." Haruka nodded with a chuckle and took out the book she had brought along. Michiru left the car and headed up the steps, walking carefully to avoid any patches of ice. When she reached the top of the steps, she saw Yuuichirou sweeping powdery snow from the courtyard.

"Good afternoon Kaioh-san." He said with a friendly smile, leaning against his broom.

"Hello Yuuichirou-kun." Michiru nodded. "Is Rei in her room?"

Yuuichirou nodded nervously. "Oh yes...Rei-san has been there all day." He paused, looking around as if he were afraid she might pounce on him at any moment. "If you're going to see her, I should probably warn you she isn't feeling well. She's been in a very bad mood today."

"Thank you Yuuichirou-kun." Michiru said with a small, distant smile. "But I'll have to take my chances." Yuuichirou went back to his work and Michiru walked through the courtyard and around the shrine building until she arrived at Rei's door. For a moment, she considered what she was doing. It was a bit manipulative, she had to admit. She was relying on Rei's feelings for her to force her out into the open, and was relying on them even more to help her snap Rei out of her depression.

Still, Michiru found herself comfortable with that kind of manipulation. Rei needed someone to lean on at the moment, and Michiru hoped that the miko's crush on her would allow her to be that someone. She knocked on the doorframe. "Rei-chan?" She called out. There was no response. "Rei-chan! Are you home?" She tried a bit louder.

Finally there was a sound of movement inside. "Michiru-chan? Is that you?"

"Yes Rei-chan...I was hoping we could talk."

"Um...well, just give me a minute, please."

"Of course." Michiru waited patiently, assuming that Rei had not been a state to receive company. After a few minutes, Rei opened the door. She was dressed in a long sleeved shirt and a pair of denim shorts that she favored. She had obviously put in a good deal of effort in a short time to make herself presentable, but with hair as long as hers it was difficult to hide the fact that she had been in bed all day. Michiru smiles warmly, and Rei smiled in return, a smile that did not come close to her eyes.

"Please, come in Michiru-chan." Rei said, moving to the side of the door. "I wasn't expecting any company today." She continued as Michiru stepped inside.

"So I understand." Michiru murmured softly. There was a pause, and Rei shifted uncomfortably.

"Michiru-chan...I'm sorry for the way I exploded at everyone yesterday...I was just...I..." She trailed off as she saw the aqua-  
haired woman looking at her strangely.

Michiru had come because she felt very badly for Rei, and wanted to cheer her up if at all possible. But hearing the totally defeated tone in Rei's voice, so devoid of her customary spirit...it was quite disturbing, and actually a bit frightening.

"Rei-chan...you have nothing to apologize for." She stood by the small table that sat in the center of the room. "May I sit?" Rei nodded, and Michiru took a seat, Rei sitting down on the side of her hastily made bed. "I think we all should have known better than to react like that." She continued with a smile. "Everyone promising to take care of me would have certainly irritated me. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised you're not still a bit angry."

Rei gave an uncomfortable little shrug, looking out the window. "I don't know...I guess I just don't see the point now." She sighed deeply and went quiet. Michiru just waited. "Tachyon really beat me, didn't she?" She finally said, bitterly. "Some warrior I turned out to be when I'm on my own. One crazy little girl is all it took."

"Rei-chan, you're being far too hard on yourself. None of us could have expected an attack like that, and any of us would have fallen for it."

"Yeah, I guess..." Rei said noncommittally. "Not that it really matters, I guess. Either way, I'm the one who got stuck with it, and now I'm just useless while all the rest of you have to go out and fight." She gave a short, barking laugh that completely lacked humor. "I can't even read the fire thanks to her!"

"Rei-chan..." Michiru tried very hard to sound sympathetic without being pitying. "You know none of us see you as useless. We're your friends, Rei-chan. And as your friends, we will help you. Because each of us knows, if the situation were reversed, you'd help us."

It looked like Rei had a sharp retort ready for that, but after a moment she just sighed and nodded. "I know you're right Michiru-chan. I just..."

"Sailor Senshi, this is Sailor Mercury, we have a big problem." As the voice came through the communicators, Michiru couldn't help but wince. -Of all the worst possible times...- She thought to herself, irritated.

"What's going on?" Haruka's voice came on now.

"I just picked up the energy signature of four World Anchors. They just appeared out of nowhere."

"World Anchors?" Haruka sounded surprised. "Didn't Tachyon say that they weren't using those anymore?"

"I don't think Tachyon is the most reliable source of intelligence." Setsuna's voice broke in. "Where are they Mercury?"

"At four of the weak points I identified before." Mercury rattled off the locations. "Venus and I are heading for the first, and Sailor Moon and Jupiter are heading for the second."

"I have Saturn and Chibi-Moon with me now, and we're close to the fourth." Setsuna said.

"I guess that leaves the third for Neptune and I." Uranus replied.

"Good...and everyone be careful. These things are putting out a tremendous amount of energy. They're different than the ones before." At that point, the communications ended, and Michiru was left looking awkwardly at Rei, who was looking back with a mournful expression.

"Go." The dark-haired girl finally said, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine, just go and be careful."

Michiru nodded, standing. "Alright...I'm really sorry, Rei-chan."

Rei just shook her head impatiently. "Just...forget about me...go, fight!" She said earnestly. "Good luck."

"Right." Michiru offered a small smile in return and hurried out of the shrine and down the steps to where Haruka was revving the engine.

"How'd it go?" The blonde woman asked as Michiru got in the car. Michiru sighed.

"Not well...I don't think I really helped her much."

"Hm...she might still like you too much." Haruka mused as she peeled off the curb into the street.

"What do you mean?" Michiru asked, blinking. "I know she still likes me, that's why I came, remember?"

"Of course." Haruka said. "But she likes you so much she doesn't want to disagree with you, and she doesn't have a good reason to be angry with you this time. It's hard to help someone with their feelings when they're just worried about hurting yours, you know?" She chuckled a little. "We figured that out when you'd try to cheer me up back in the old days, remember?"

"Hmm...I do." Michiru mused. "I guess I just didn't think the same principal would apply here."

"Me either." Haruka agreed, weaving deftly in and out of the slower moving traffic.

"Someone does have to do something, though." Michiru said softly. "She's absolutely miserable."

"We have to get Tachyon." Haruka replied, grimly. "I think that would probably solve a few problems." There was nothing else to say after that, and the two just sped on towards their destination.

-------------------

"Well girls, I guess it's just leftovers for dinner tonight." Setsuna said, turning to look in the backseat. She had just picked Chibi-Usa up at her house, and the three of them had been on the way to the grocery store.

"We might still be able to make it, if we take care of this quickly." Hotaru said, a small, confident smile on her face.

"Yeah!" Chibi-Usa agreed, reaching over to squeeze Hotaru's hand. Hotaru felt her cheeks warm slightly and smiled a bit wider. Chibi-Usa had changed somewhat lately. The two girls had been very close and were getting closer, but there had been a hesitance in the pink-haired girl, a nervousness about their relationship. Though Hotaru couldn't guess at the cause, that hesitance seemed to have vanished. And she certainly had no complaints.

All too soon, they arrived at the location Sailor Mercury had given them. Behind a restaurant there was a narrow alleyway, and this was where the weak point was. When they had still been patrolling these areas Artemis had always staked out this place, and on seeing that it was behind a seafood restaurant, Hotaru had no difficulty wondering why.

They stopped two buildings away and transformed in the alley. They proceeded very carefully through the narrow canyon between the tall buildings, Saturn in front and Pluto in the rear, guarding their back. Sailor Saturn knew that her parent was watching diligently for any sign of Tachyon's presence, and it made her feel immensely better. Not so much for herself, but for Chibi-Moon, who walked along between them.

And there it was, a squat black pyramid, with black lightning climbing up and down its sides. The space around it puckered, distorting the image of the alley behind it like a lens. "No daeva..." Chibi-Moon said uncertainly, looking around.

"No..." Saturn agreed, bringing up her Silence Glaive defensively.

"This feels like a trap." Sailor Pluto said from behind them. Both nodded. They came a few steps closer, and still there was no resistance. "Alright..." Pluto finally said. "Saturn, get ready to destroy it. Chibi-Moon and I will watch out for an ambush." Saturn nodded, but at that moment, the communicators came to life again.

"Has anyone else reached the target?" It was Sailor Venus' voice.

"We're here." Pluto replied.

"Are there any daeva by yours?"

"None. We're getting ready to destroy the Anchor now."

"Hmm..." There was a short pause, and then Mercury was speaking instead.

"Sailor Saturn?"

"Right here." Saturn spoke into her own communicator.

"I want you to try something...hit the Anchor with your weapon. Don't use an attack, just hit it."

"Um...alright..." Confused, Saturn nevertheless approached the pyramid, holding her Glaive above her head. She swung the deadly blade down in a glittering arc. The moment it came into contact with the Anchor, there was a spark of blue, and the thing collapsed into a pile of black sand, it's energy vanishing completely.

"What the...!" Chibi-Moon exclaimed in surprise.

"I knew it." Mercury's voice sounded tense. "It just collapsed, didn't it?"

"Yes...what's going on?" Pluto asked.

"We destroyed ours just as easily. These aren't Anchors. They look like them, and output an identical energy, but that's it. They can't actually DO anything."

Sailor Moon's voice chimed in, sounding confused. "So then why...?"

"To separate us." Sailor Uranus' voice said in an angry tone. "To draw us out and separate us."

"It's a trap." Pluto said softly. And, as if summoned by those words, a thick tendril of black energy came down from above and wrapped around Sailor Pluto like a tentacle, pinning her arms to her sides. Her Garnet Rod slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground as she was lifted into the air.

"Puu!" Chibi-Moon shouted, grabbing one of Pluto's feet and pulling. Blue energy suddenly raced up along the surface of the tendril, infusing Sailor Pluto. The tall Senshi gasped in pain and went rigid. Chibi-Moon was thrown away into the side of a dumpster.

"No!" Saturn shouted. She ran forward, leaping into the air. Her weapon cut through the black tentacle and the end she had cut off vanished instantly, letting Sailor Pluto fall to the ground, unmoving. The remainder of the tendril of energy floated up and over the lip of the restaurant's roof.

"Setsuna-mama..." Saturn whispered, kneeling next to the prone Sailor Pluto. "Are you alright?" To her immense relief, Pluto cracked her eyes open and smiled faintly.

"Yes..." She said in a small voice. "Just feel...so weak...Go, help Chibi-Moon..." Saturn looked up and saw the pink-haired Senshi struggling into a sitting position against the dumpster and hurried over to help.

"Chibi-Moon!" Hotaru said, pulling her to her feet and hugging her tightly. "Are YOU okay?"

"Yeah..." Chibi-Moon touched the top of her head and winced. "I'm gonna have a nasty bump, though." Her eyes turned upwards to where the tentacle had vanished and widened in fear.

"Sailor Saturn." The utterly emotionless voice left an ice cold lump in the bottom of Saturn's stomach. She turned, already knowing what she would see. Muon was there, his blue robes and hair moving slightly in the breeze as he floated down from the building above. Floating behind him was a thing that looked like nothing so much as a giant jellyfish, larger than Muon himself, made of that black energy. Its tentacles twitched and curled as it descended, and in the center of its bell was a sphere of glowing blue.

"Sailor Saturn." Muon repeated, coming to a stop with about ten feet of air below him. "Come with me. You have no other options."

Saturn pulled Chibi-Moon behind her protectively and held up her Glaive, her eyes darting around. The narrow alley would make fighting difficult for her, but that was true of Muon as well. That thing behind him didn't look very maneuverable, either. "This...was all to get at me?" She said, trying to buy time.

"Of course. Now come." Muon said, sounding for all the world as if he expected Saturn to obey.

"No way!" Chibi-Moon shouted angrily from behind Saturn. "She's mine...ours..." She faltered for a second, a blush on her cheeks, and Saturn smiled a little despite the situation. "Anyway, you can't have her!"

"Foolishness." Muon said in cold dismissal, and made a small gesture with his hand. Three of the jellyfish's tentacles extended, streaking down towards where Saturn stood. She jumped nimbly out of the way as their tips embedded themselves in the concrete. She took a swing at them as they retracted, but they moved too quickly and she couldn't get a good swing. She cast a worried look at Pluto, who was still lying on the ground, barely stirring.

Muon gestured again, and his creation sank down level with the Sailor Senshi. It turned on it's side, and all it's tentacles flew out, forming an almost solid column of black energy. Saturn's eyes widened and she grabbed Chibi-Moon by the shoulders, pushing her in one direction as she fell in the other. She avoided the attack, the tentacles passing so close that she could feel the air flatten against her back.

Jumping to her feet, Saturn planted the shaft of her weapon firmly on the ground. "SILENCE WALL!" The violet barrier of energy flew up, cutting off the sound on the other side. Muon's creation floated to his level once again, and as he gestured, it flung tendril after tendril against the shield, each attack turned away effortlessly. Finally he stopped, his only reaction to Saturn's defense a slightly raised eyebrow.

His eyes turned down, and he pointed at Pluto's prone form. "Oh no..." Chibi-Moon whispered. "He's going to..."

"No, he's not." Saturn said grimly, tensing herself. As the tentacles swept downwards, she broke the barrier, dashing forward. Her Glaive sailed out before her, severing the energy before they could reach her parent. She readied herself for a leap that would carry her up and into the black thing, but she suddenly realized that Muon had vanished.

There was a cry of outrage from behind her, and she spun around. Muon was rising into the air, holding Chibi-Moon to his side in a firm grip. The small Senshi struggled and kicked, but to no avail.

"I considered this one useless." Muon said in his dead voice. "But I do not think you agree. Follow me, if you wish her returned." He sailed up over the roof and out of sight, and his black creation followed.

Saturn was frozen, looking desperately up to the roof, and down to where Pluto lay. After a handful hopeless seconds, Pluto stirred, rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up on her forearm. She looked up at Saturn.

"Go..." She said in a shaky whisper. "Go get Small Lady, Hotaru." Her eyes were angry, but she smiled weakly. "Be careful, be very careful...but go get her back."

A tiny smile appeared on Saturn's lips, and she nodded. "I will, Setsuna-mama...I promise." She jumped, landing on the ledge above the restaurant's back door, and jumped again up onto the roof. There was Muon, a few buildings away and still moving. Saturn could see Chibi-Moon's pink hair shining in the sun, and her hands tightened around her weapon. "I'm coming!" She shouted defiantly. She gave chase, an angry, determined expression in her eyes.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Boy, this chapter makes me nervous. I get a bit nervous every time I have to write an action scene, and I feel REALLY nervous when the focus strays off Minako and Ami for so long. But it really had to be done. I hope nobody minds too much!


	26. Chapter 26

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 26

Sailor Saturn continued to leap over the rooftops of Tokyo, chasing the distant shape of Muon and his creation. No matter how quickly she moved, her prey seemed to get no closer and it was infuriating. And in response, she could feel her other self growing and taking shape in her mind. It wasn't exactly as if there was another person in her body...she knew for a fact that felt different.

No...it was more that she began to remember things. She began to remember more of her life before her new parents took her, memories of intense pain and terrible loneliness that had been eased only by the small girl that her enemy now threatened to take away from her. And behind that were memories of another existence, so very long ago and so very different from anything she knew now that she could barely comprehend them in her current state.

So she concentrated instead on Chibi-Usa. Her mouth thinned into a tight, thin line of anger and her eyes burned into Muon's back as he floated ahead of her. She would catch him, and when she did he would give her back. Or Saturn would take her back.

Then, to her surprise, Muon stopped. He came to a halt on the roof of a radio station, hovering in front of the radio tower with his creation behind him like an impossible black octopus. Chibi-Moon was still held in his grip, and even from here Saturn could hear her screaming and struggling. Saturn put on another burst of speed that put her on the same roof within a few seconds, the point of her Silence Glaive leveled at Muon's heart.

"Hold, Sailor Saturn." Muon said. Four black tentacles slipped around him and almost gently took Sailor Chibi-Moon from his arm. The pink-haired girl tried to wrench away, but the thing held her in an unbreakable grip, tendril held over her mouth to muffle her angry cries.

"Let her go!" Saturn cried, starting forward threateningly. Muon held up a hand, but Saturn didn't pause.

"Hold, Sailor Saturn." The blue robed figure said again. "The Vorago Navitas will only restrain your companion. She will come to no harm, if you will just wait a moment." Saturn stopped, glaring up at Muon, who merely gave the slightest of nods in response to her pause. "Excellent. I have no desire to fight you, Sailor Saturn."

"Then what do you want from me?" She said in an even, dangerous tone.

"For now, I simply wish to talk."

-------------------

Sailor Pluto had alerted the Sailor Senshi to Muon's ambush as soon as Saturn had leapt out of sight, and now the rest of the Senshi were converging on her location as fast as possible. But the sites where the decoy Anchors had appeared were all widely separated, and it would take time to arrive.

-Too much time.- Venus thought angrily as she leapt from one rooftop to another, Mercury just a step behind. She was furious that Muon had manipulated them so expertly. Especially since she had hardly given the blue-haired sorcerer a single thought after Gluon's death. Being plagued with Tachyon's insane assaults, it had been difficult to consider much else.

"What is this guy's problem, anyway?" She exclaimed as they paused for a moment while Mercury got their bearings. "Hasn't Saturn had it bad enough as it is?"

"He does seem a bit fixated, doesn't he?" Mercury said, sounding a little frustrated herself as she punched a few keys on her computer. "Well, we're getting close to Pluto's location, but I'm not picking up Saturn or Muon. So either they're not fighting for some reason or they're being shielded somehow."

Sailor Venus stepped to the edge of the roof, shielding the sun from her eyes as she looked out over the city. "Pluto said that they took off over the roof. We should keep an eye out for them, don't you think?"

There was no reply. Venus turned around. "Mercury? Is something wrong..." Mercury was still standing there, her head bowed to look at her computer. She seemed frozen, but then Venus realized she was moving, just so slowly that it took a moment of staring to detect it.

"Oh no..." Venus whispered, taking an involuntary step backwards, turning her head from side to side.

"Oh yes!" The piping voice Sailor Venus dreaded to hear said. Tachyon slowly faded into view right next to Mercury, hugging her legs and leaning her head against the Senshi's hip. "Hiya!" She said, smiling brightly. Venus's breath caught in her throat as she saw the glittering knife the child held loosely in her grip.

"Get away from her!" Venus shouted, running forward. Even as she started, though, she could feel her body slowing. Soon she was a bad off as Mercury, her mind unchanged but her body barely moving, no matter how much energy she tried to put into it.

"Don't worry...I don't want her." Tachyon said, stepping away from Mercury and towards Venus. She used her other hand to lightly trace the blade of her weapon as she approached Venus. "Lucky lucky me!" She giggled. "Sailor Pluto's weak and helpless, and I have the prettiest Sailor Senshi all to myself." Tachyon stepped behind her, and Venus desperately tried to turn to follow her, to no avail. She felt cold metal against her leg and would have screamed, if she could. Then she could feel Tachyon's tiny hands running through her hair. "I just love your hair." The little girl said softly. "It's so long and golden...I think I'll keep it when I'm all done playing with you."

Venus focused on Mercury again. The other girl had finally turned her head up enough to look back at her, and Venus could see the terror she felt mirrored in her eyes. Sailor Venus' panic was rapidly giving way to despair...with Pluto incapacitated, she was at Tachyon's mercy.

The tiny figure walked back into Venus' line of sight. "Well, it's time to go!" She piped, clapping her hands together. She looked up into her victim's eyes and then followed them back to Mercury's. Her smile faltered as she looked back and forth between them, and then her eyes hardened, as if she saw something in their look that she didn't like.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said, smiling serenely though her eyes burned with hatred. "I really wish I could take you both, but I can really only afford one new toy right now." She glided over to Mercury and yanked hard on her arms, forcing her down on her knees. She glanced back at Venus, and her face was an expressionless mask.

"I bet you'll miss this one more than anyone, won't you?" She said, her voice sounding harsh and old just for a moment. "Well...maybe we should take something we can remember her by, what do you think?" She grabbed a fistful of Mercury's hair and yanked her head up. "Something so you'll never forget her as long as you live." She said in a tiny singsong, her voice gaining a little of it's usual childish playfulness again. She held up her dagger in front of the blue-haired girl's eyes.

Venus fought against the force that was holding her slowed in time, but it was no use. She could do nothing but move forward an almost infinitesimal amount as Tachyon rested the edge of her blade against her love's jaw line. "Maybe we should take her face?" Tachyon whispered. "Do you think you'd remember her then?" She ran the blade down a bit, and Sailor Venus could see a thin line of red trailing after it.

Suddenly, the little voice in Venus' head spoke up once again, little no longer. -WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?- It roared at her, and she was suddenly certain that as much as it sounded like her, these were NOT her thoughts. -SAVE HER!-

Sailor Venus felt a hot flash run through her body, and the scream she had felt building in her throat suddenly burst out with shocking clarity. Tachyon whipped her head around, her eyes wide and round with shock. With a speed born of desperation, Venus crossed the space between her and her target in three bounding strides and spun on the last step, catching the child in the side of the head with a vicious kick that sent her flying.

"CRESCENT BEAM!" Without missing a beat, Venus attacked, the beam streaking out towards Tachyon's knife. Her aim was off by just a hair, and the golden energy caught the hilt rather than the blade, blasting the weapon from Tachyon's hand and sending it flying in a glittering arc to the alley behind the building. Then Venus was in the air, another kick aimed squarely at Tachyon's head as she lay on the roof. The little girl rolled out of the way and scrambled to her feet with surprising speed, but Venus was already on her, feet and fists flying.

Sailor Venus knew her only chance was to not let up, to try to keep the insane little girl too off balance to turn the full force of her powers upon her opponent. Tachyon dodged her blows with supernatural speed, and Venus suspected she was using her powers to augment her movements. "You should have gone after Pluto, not me." She said tauntingly, trying to throw her off even more. "What's the matter? Are you scared of her? Too scared to fight her even when she can't fight back?"

That seemed to hit a nerve. "Shut up!" Tachyon screeched as she twisted to avoid another punch. "Shut up, shut up SHUT UP!" With that last scream, her eyes suddenly started to glow with a pale, grey light. Sailor Venus was forced to stumble backwards as the space around the little girl began to twist and bulge alarmingly, and Tachyon rose into the air, her limbs hanging limply as lines of power raced over her body.

As she fell backwards, Venus suddenly felt the unpleasant sensation of parts of her body moving through time at a different rate than the others. Her head swam, and as she hit the ground, she saw Sailor Mercury kneeling on the roof a short distance away, still stalled in time. -I'm sorry Ami...- She thought weakly. -I tried...I think I almost got her, too.-

Tachyon appeared to have gone completely out of control. Pestilential grey light surrounded her and flashes of white lightning appeared around her head. The timespace around her seemed infected with her insanity and flowed in random swirls and eddies. Then a loud voice shouted, "ENOUGH!"

Tachyon's power vanished in an instant, and she fell to her knees on the roof panting, sweat running down her face. She looked up fearfully. There, on the next roof, stood Sailor Pluto. She was supported on both sides by Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, who were almost holding her upright. But Pluto's gaze was completely steady as she looked grimly down at the little girl, and her Garnet Orb flashed menacingly.

With a small, frightened cry Tachyon yanked herself to her feet and staggered to the edge of the roof, throwing herself off without stopping. But she became insubstantial as she fell, and she had vanished before she hit the ground. Uranus and Neptune helped Pluto jump onto the next roof, and Pluto quickly went to Mercury, touching her forehead lightly with her Garnet Rod and freeing her from her stasis.

Mercury jumped to her feet and ran directly to Venus. The blonde Senshi was lying on her back, her hands scratching at the ground as she fought for breath. Mercury knelt next to her, gasping as she saw a thin trickle of blood at the corner of Venus' mouth. "What's wrong with her?" She asked as Pluto knelt next to her. "What happened?"

"Her body was exposed to many different flows of time...her organs can't synch up properly." Pluto said, laying her hands on Venus' stomach. There was a flash of red energy, and Venus sucked in a massive, shuddering breath. Pluto's eyes rolled back into her head and she would have toppled over if Uranus hadn't caught her.

Sailor Venus cracked her eyes open. "Hey Ami." She said in a tired voice, pulling herself into a sitting position. "What's up?" Mercury smiled tearfully and hugged Venus tightly to her chest, rocking her back and forth.

"Mina-chan, Mina-chan...I was so afraid I was going to lose you!" She whispered. The Outer Senshi smiled softly as they watched the two of them. After a moment, Mercury looked up, a concerned look in her eyes. "Saturn!" She suddenly exclaimed.

"Just after we found Pluto, she suddenly felt Tachyon's presence." Neptune explained. "We decided that no matter what Tachyon was up to, we had to get Pluto there to stop her. We figured that there was a good chance that she might be with Muon, as well."

"And we knew that Pluto was the only one who really had a chance to defend against the little psycho." Uranus added.

"But that wasn't really true, was it?" Pluto asked, looking at Sailor Venus. "What happened?"

Venus frowned slightly. "It was really strange..." She murmured. "Really weird...don't really know how to explain..." She trailed off, and Mercury cast Pluto an alarmed look as she realized that Venus had slipped into unconsciousness. Sailor Pluto just smiled and shook her head.

"She's just exhausted, and her body's had quite a shock. Rest is probably the best thing for her."

Uranus nodded and stood up next to Neptune. "We should go...Saturn still needs our help." She looked down at Mercury. "We might need you." She suggested gently.

Mercury bit her lip as she looked at Uranus, then down at the sleeping Minako. Pluto placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can look after her. I won't be much good in a fight at the moment myself." She looked at the three intact Senshi. "Be very careful...his new creation can siphon away our energy very quickly if you allow it to touch you."

"We'll be careful." Neptune said. Mercury gently lay Venus down, lightly stroking her cheek for a moment before she stood.

"All right, let's go." The three of them dashed off in the direction the Outer Senshi had come from, leaving Sailor Pluto sitting on the roof next to Venus, looking at the exhausted Senshi of Love with a thoughtful expression on her face.

-------------------

While Venus had done battle with Tachyon, Muon and Saturn had been continuing their face-off. "You want to talk?" Saturn asked, not lowering the point of her Glaive. "What do you have to say to me?"

"I offer you a chance of survival." Muon said, looking down with her. The hair at the back of Saturn's neck pricked up as she met that gaze and felt the utter lack of emotion behind it. "The Sailor Senshi are formidable." The blue-robed figure continued. "But they cannot hold out indefinitely. Hadron's plans cannot be stopped now."

"Who is Hadron?" Saturn asked, not wanting to let her guard down but unable to pass up a chance to learn more about their mysterious enemy. "What does he want with us?"

"Hadron is the Demon of Burning Gold." Muon replied. "He is a mighty lord...dozens of worlds lie under his rule. Your Earth was to be his next conquest. But the situation has changed. Your world will now give Hadron his greatest ambition. But in the process, it will be utterly destroyed."

"What?" Saturn exclaimed. "Why?" Muon made a dismissive gesture.

"The reasons are irrelevant. All that matters is that you understand the inevitability of this outcome. The Earth will be destroyed in the most profound way imaginable, and all those who live upon it will die. The Sailor Senshi cannot possibly withstand Hadron's onslaught. Worlds far greater than this have fallen to Hadron's forces, and this small world shall prove no different. And now we come to my offer. Come with me, and live."

"What is it you want from me?" Saturn asked in a frustrated tone of voice.

"I wish to study you, your energies. Tachyon prophesied that I would make my greatest discovery upon this world, and before her powers of foresight were blocked in regards to the Sailor Senshi, she indicated that somehow, you would be the key." Now there was light behind his eyes, but it was cold and dead. Saturn suddenly realized that this man felt nothing, nothing but a burning curiosity that fueled some need she didn't understand.

"So here is my offer, in full. Come with me willingly, submit to my studies. They will cause you little discomfort and take only a few years to complete in full. Then, you will be free." He looked back at where Sailor Chibi-Moon hung in the Vortago's grasp. She had stopped struggling, and was now listening along with Sailor Saturn. "If you wish, I will take her with us. I will take us to a place far from here, so far that it will take Hadron centuries to extend his reach to you. You will be able to live out your lives in peace." He turned his dead gaze back to Saturn. "Choose, Sailor Saturn. Life, or death."

Sailor Saturn was quiet for a long moment. She lowered her weapon, resting it against the ground in one hand. The winter breeze sprang up, ruffling her hair and skirt as she looked down. Muon waited impassively.

Finally she just looked up, not at Muon, but at Chibi-Moon. The small girl looked back into Saturn's eyes and nodded at her, her eyes determined. Saturn then turned her gaze to the sorcerer. "I am a Sailor Senshi." She finally said in a soft voice that nevertheless rang full in the cold air. "I am sworn to defend this world and its people against any evil which would try to claim it. I can't abandon the others to face Hadron alone. I reject your offer, Muon."

"I see." Muon said, not sounding in the least perturbed by Saturn's refusal. "It would have been easier had you acquiesced. But still, willing or no, you will come with me. Perhaps you will be more willing to cooperate after a small demonstration." He made a waving motion, and the luminescent blue core of the Vorago flared to life, sending veins of blue energy through its pseudopods and into Sailor Chibi-Moon, who suddenly gave a muffled cry of pain and began to struggle again. The lines of blue lights flashed and turned sugar pink where they touched her, and that pink light began traveling back towards the core.

"Chibi-Moon!" Saturn cried and started forward once again.

"Stay where you are or the Vorago will drain her to death." Muon said tersely. "This is merely a demonstration. The Vorago Navitas is the latest application of the principals I first used in the Death's Tears, and is far more advanced at draining the power from you Sailor Senshi and turning it back upon you. Observe."

He made a sharp gesture, and three tentacles curled up over the back of the Vorago's bell, their points aimed squarely at Sailor Saturn, who fell into a crouch, her Glaive held ready. The Vorago attacked, each tendril firing a stream of bright pink hearts down at Saturn, who hopped lightly out of the way with a surprised expression. The hearts impacted the roof's surface with a tinkling sound, doing no damage.

Muon and Saturn both stared at the hearts for a long, still moment. Finally Muon made a small gesture, and the Vorago retracted it's tentacles, cutting off the attack. "Why do you allow this one to fight with you?" He asked, a lifted eyebrow his only change of expression.

"She's in training!" Saturn said, a bit more defensively than she meant to.

"A poor time to be a student." Muon said. Chibi-Moon gave one final cry and fell limp. Her fuku broke into a swirl of pink ribbons of energy and then vanished, leaving Chibi-Usa hanging unconscious in the Vorago's grasp, dressed in her normal clothes. "The Vorago Navitas has drained Sailor Chibi-Moon's Senshi power completely." He said, sounding like a rather unexciting professor giving a lecture. He motioned, and the lines of energy retreated back into the Vorago's core. "Any further energy it drains will be from her life force. She will be unable to survive for long if it begins to drink from her again."

Muon drifted down until his feet reached the roof, the black mass of his creation following him down. "Again, I ask you to come willingly. It would be pointless to do battle here."

Sailor Saturn's mind worked furiously as she considered her options. They seemed very limited. Whether it drained Chibi-Usa's energy or not, Saturn was fairly certain that the Vorago was capable of crushing the life out of her before she could free her. Perhaps if she pretended to surrender, she could get close enough...she took a step forward, lowering her weapon submissively.

A shower of roses suddenly fell from the top of the radio tower. They embedded themselves in the roof, forming a ring around the Vorago. A petal-filled field of rose-pink energy flew up from them, sending the black jellyfish into violent convulsions. Its grip slipped, and Chibi-  
Usa fell away from it as the energy field faded.

Then Tuxedo Kamen was there, throwing himself down from the tower like in a black blur. He scooped his daughter into his arms and leapt away, the Vorago reaching futilely for his fluttering cape. He bounded behind Sailor Saturn and paused for a moment. Saturn glanced back with a smile.

"Will you be alright?" He asked. Saturn nodded firmly.

"I'll be fine. Get her some help. Thank you, Tuxedo Kamen." Tuxedo Kamen smiled back and nodded.

"Of course. I'll tell the others where you are. They'll be here soon." Then he leapt into the air, Chibi-Usa cradled to his chest.

With Chibi-Usa safe, Saturn had no more hesitation. She dashed forward, jumping into the air with her Glaive sweeping down towards the Vorago. The gleaming blade met only air as it drifted out of the path of her strike, but she felt a certain satisfaction that the thing wasn't as quick as she feared.

She spun around, holding her Glaive up in both hands defensively just in time to deflect a strike from Muon. His saber bounced from the shaft of the Silence Glaive, it's curved blade crackling with blue light. "You will not escape me." He said with quiet, emotionless certainty.

In the heat of battle, Saturn felt her other self coming more and more into prominence. "You cannot win." She replied, sweeping the blade at him and forcing him back. She threw herself onto her back, watching as a bundle of black tentacles of energy sped through the air where she had just been standing. The Glaive came up with a deadly whistle and severed them in the air.

Then she was on her feet, flipping over so she was facing the bizarre magical construct. Tentacles lengthened into whips and flew down at her but she slashed each one out of existence as they approached, rushing forward. The Glaive slashed down into the Vorago's bell and it made a high, keening sound that could almost have been a screech of pain. It twisted away and up into the air, a massive dent carved into it's side.

Saturn felt the air move behind her and without looking thrust her weapon into the air, feeling the impact as Muon's blade struck it. She turned, her face as expressionless as her opponents as they looked at one another, weapons striving for dominance. With a sudden, violent twist Saturn knocked Muon back, his weapon slipping from his grasp. She jumped backwards, high into the air, landing directly on top of the Vorago Navitas. Holding the Silence Glaive down in both hands she stabbed the blade down through its black energy form and into it's azure core.

The black thing screamed and shuddered, and Saturn leapt away as it began to fall apart, drifting to the ground and melting away. It's dissolving form lay between herself and Muon, who had just regained his balance. "You gave me a choice between death and life, Muon." Saturn said in a deadly voice. "I tell you I am the Warrior of Death and Life. I am Sailor Saturn, Senshi of Silence, and you will never take me." She held the shaft of her weapon to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them, they were shining with violet light. She swept the Silence Glaive out in a wide arc before her and a terrible, silent wave of destruction spread before her. "SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!" The remains of the Vorago were annihilated instantly as the attack reached it, and Muon held up both hands, a blue shield of energy surrounding him. It cracked and sputtered as Saturn's attack hit him, and he vanished from sight just as his protection failed completely.

Sound returned to the area a moment later and Saturn surveyed the aftermath. There was a cloud of dust, and a massive gouge had been torn out of the roof, allowing her to look down into the utility chambers below. Of Muon there was no sign.

She fell to her knees, feeling very weak and weepy, as she usually did when her other self fought through her. Saturn heard a small sound and looked up, an expression of relief spreading over her face. Running over the rooftops directly towards her were Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Mercury. And from another direction, a bit further off, she could see Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter coming as well.

When they reached her, her parents both scooped her up and hugged her tightly as the other Sailor Senshi surrounded her with cheers and smiles. She leaned into Neptune's embrace and closed her eyes with a smile, knowing that now, she was safe.

-------------------

Some distance away, in his lair in the heights of a skyscraper, Muon appeared in the center of the laboratory, kneeling and grasping his chest. Sweat was beaded on his forehead, and strain was etched into his face. Gylax rushed to him, her quicksilver form rippling with worry as she knelt next to him.

"Muon, you're hurt!"

"Yes..." Though his voice was tight, it displayed no further emotion. "Sailor Saturn proved a far more competent opponent than I expected from one so young. I underestimated her."

He rose to his feet, still holding his chest. "Are you damaged?" Gylax asked, watching him fearfully.

"No...this is merely the backlash of my shield's destruction." He said, breathing deeply. "If Sailor Saturn's attack had reached me in full, I would have been destroyed utterly."

"So it was a failure?" Gylax would have been terrified to ask any other superior such a blunt question, but she had learned that Muon responded best to directness.

"Not entirely...I prepare for all outcomes, including this one." He took his hand from his chest and opened his hand. A small white crystal sat in his hand. In the center of the gem pulsed a tiny point of violet light.

"What is it?" Gylax asked curiously.

"A tiny sample of Sailor Saturn's energy." Muon replied. "With the knowledge I have gained from my other project, it may be the key to her capture." He glanced at the other side of the chamber. "How has it fared in my absence?"

Gylax fell into a puddle and sped over to the large cylinder of violet liquid. The pearly substance swirled violently as the dark shape in its center struggled for escape. "I had to increase the energy of its containment field again." Gylax said, flowing up into humanoid shape once again. "It almost breached the chamber before I had a chance, so I've set the field to increase power over time automatically. But it will reach maximum output in a few days."

"Well done. I can make other arrangements if it exceeds that power before it is ready." He surveyed the struggling figure carefully, and then examined the shifting blue runes on the floor around it. "Tomorrow you will inform Meson that I will have a new weapon for her to use against the Sailor Senshi very soon."

-------------------

After informing the rest of the Sailor Senshi of Saturn's location Tuxedo Kamen had taken Chibi-Usa to the hospital, just in case. She was diagnosed with extreme exhaustion and given a bed. Some time later, most of the Sailor Senshi joined Mamoru to see how she was. They had seen Minako safely home to rest, but Setsuna, though extremely weary as well, wanted to check on her Small Lady.

"Chibi-Usa?" Usagi called softly, once they were all there. "Chibi-Usa, are you alright?" The pink-haired girl stirred and slowly cracked her eyes open.

"Usagi?" She murmured. Then her eyes flew open and pulled herself upright. "Hotaru? What happened."

"I'm right here." Hotaru smiled from her side, hugging her tightly. "I'm just fine."

"What happened to Muon?"

"It seems Hotaru gave him the beating of his life." Michiru said with a soft, proud smile. Hotaru blushed softly and looked down at her hands.

"How are you feeling, Small Lady?" Setsuna asked with a gentle smile.

"Tired." Chibi-Usa said with a yawn. "But okay, other than that."

"Good." Setsuna nodded. "Usagi and Mamoru should be able to take you home then."

"Did you really beat Muon by yourself Hotaru?" Chibi-Usa asked, her eyes shining in admiration.

"Yes..." Hotaru said with a shy smile. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a small voice. "After...after he hurt you I couldn't just let him get away with it." She blushed, and Chibi-Usa blushed as well, smiling. Everyone else just smiled fondly and looked away, not wanting to embarrass the two of them anymore.

Suddenly there was a small cough from the doorway, and everyone turned to look. Dr. Mizuno was there, leaning against the doorframe with an odd expression on her face. Ami felt her heart sink as she saw that look. "Well." She said, smiling warmly. "When I heard a girl with pink hair had been brought in, I thought it might be Chibi-Usa. You're all very nice to come visit her." She walked in, looking carefully at the group. "You don't look very well yourself, Meioh-san." She said, tilting her head at Setsuna.

"A little fever." Setsuna said with a serene smile, not shaken in the least. "But I'm recovering well."

"I'm glad to hear that." She stopped by the bed and looked down at Chibi-Usa, her face unreadable. She reached out and gently placed her palm to the small girl's forehead. "You seem to be fine. Just stay in bed for a day or so, and I'm sure you'll be well again in no time." She glanced over at Usagi and Mamoru. "You two will see her safely home?" They both nodded, and she smiled. "Excellent." She turned to leave and then paused at the door, not looking back.

"Ami...when you get home, I think the two of us need to talk." She left then, and Ami felt the eyes of the others on the back of her neck. She turned back with a helpless little smile and shrugged.

"Well..." She said in a shaky voice. "It had to happen sometime, right?"

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE- Hmm...honestly I don't have a lot to say here. This one just of flowed out in no time. The action scenes have gotten so much easier to write since I started!


	27. Chapter 27

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 27

Rei sat on her bed, in the same place she had been in when Michiru had left her. She held her communicator in one hand and her transformation pen in the other, and looked at them gloomily. When Pluto had related the truth about Muon's trap to the other Senshi, the miko had brought out her pen, thinking to give transforming another shot.

But she couldn't...she didn't think she could bear trying and failing again. Besides, she knew for a fact it was useless. After what Tachyon had done to her...

Anger suddenly flared in Rei's eyes, and her hand clenched around her pen. The memory of Tachyon's smile as the knife went into her shoulder; of her cruel, insane laughter fading in her ears as she lost consciousness...it filled Rei with rage. How could she let that little psycho beat her like that?

But the feeling drained away just as quickly. What was the point of getting angry if she couldn't do anything about it? She fell back against her mattress, closing her eyes tightly. She could feel tears building behind her eyelids, and she didn't want to give into another display of weakness like that again. Even if she was weak.

That was what hurt more than anything...how weak she felt. She'd been beaten before...there had been many, many enemies that had been too powerful for her to beat on her own. That was why the Sailor Senshi operated as a team. Together, they were invincible, able to take down threats that would annihilate them separately. No, what hurt was that she was now no longer part of the team.

Oh, she was still friends with the Sailor Senshi. She wasn't so steeped in self-pity that she thought for an instant that they'd forget about her. But she wasn't one of them anymore. And she wouldn't be until they defeated Tachyon and rescued her.

Even thinking that brought a loud groan of frustration out of Rei's lips and forced her to curl into a ball on her bed, her hands over her face. Her humiliation was overpowering...she longed for the earth to open up beneath her and swallow her up. The fiery miko's pride had been delivered a deathblow at the thought of the others putting themselves in danger for her sake while she waited safely at home.

Hino Rei...proud, strong and beautiful. Fiercely independent. What happened to her? "Her power was taken away and she became a demure little shrine maiden, quietly staying behind while the warriors go out to fight for her." Rei answered herself, throwing a pillow across the room in a gesture of disgust.

She suddenly wondered if Michiru was coming back. That thought brought her back into a sitting position. As much as she wanted to see the Senshi of the Sea...she also didn't want Michiru to see her in this state anymore. Rei was getting a bit tired of her own company...she didn't see any reason to inflict it on the one she loved.

So she emerged from her room a few minutes later, fully dressed and bundled up against the winter chill. She passed Yuuichirou, who was now hard at work cleaning the wooden walkway around the shrine. "Yuuichirou- kun...if anyone comes looking for me, please tell them I went out."

"Um...sure, Rei-san. But where are you going?"

"I'm just taking a walk." She said impatiently. "Don't worry about me. Just get back to work."

"Yes, Rei-san!" Yuuichirou said in a chastened tone, returning to his cleaning. Rei hurried across the courtyard and down the steps to the street below. She could feel the cold seeping through her coat and stiffening her injured shoulder already, but it was a small price to pay. The Sailor Senshi were doing enough for her. She didn't need them to be her emotional crutch as well.

-------------------

Ami and Makoto walked down the sidewalk in the general direction of Minako's house. They had left the hospital shortly after the Outer Senshi, minus Hotaru. Setsuna had taken Haruka and Michiru with them to the site of Tachyon's attack, saying she wanted to take a closer look at the area. Hotaru had stayed behind with Usagi and Mamoru to see Chibi-Usa safely home.

That left Makoto and Ami. It was Ami's thought to go see Minako before she went home to confront her mother. Minako had been so tired after the fight with Tachyon that it worried the blue-haired girl, and she wanted to make sure her girlfriend was really alright. And she wanted to talk about what had happened at the hospital as well...as the leader of the Inner Senshi, Minako needed to know what Ami planned to do, and she might even have some ideas how to handle all this.

She sighed deeply, and Makoto, who had been lost in her own thoughts as well, glanced over at her with a smile. "Worried?"

Ami nodded softly and then smirked a bit. "Yes...but it isn't as if I didn't know this would come eventually. She's been acting suspicious for weeks...and, for all I know, she's had an idea of the truth for much longer than that. But at least over these last few weeks, I've definitely gotten the feeling that she's getting an idea...about everything."

"What are you going to do?" Makoto asked softly. Ami just shrugged slightly.

"I honestly don't know...I guess I'll just have to see what happens." They came to an intersection, and Makoto hesitated.

"I think I'll take off here..." She said, looking down the street. "I'd like to go talk to Rei for awhile."

"That's a good idea." Ami agreed. They had sent the word out on the communicator that they had won, but there hadn't been a reply from Rei.

Makoto paused. "I was thinking...I know we usually do anyway, but I think it's important that we have all our meetings at the Shrine now."

Ami chuckled a little. "That's another good idea." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Poor Rei...I was so caught up in my trouble that I almost forgot about her. What are we going to do?"

"It's pretty obvious." Makoto said with a shrug. When Ami looked askance at her, she smirked. "We have to track Tachyon down. Think about it...every time she's attacked us, even though when we her, she still has the upper hand. She's able to escape. So we have to find her hideout...take the fight to her, on our terms."

"That makes a lot of sense..." Ami said, nodding thoughtfully. She looked up at Makoto again. "But how?"

Makoto smiled and closed her eyes, holding a hand to her chin in a wise-looking gesture. "I have no idea." Ami blinked and smiled helplessly, and Makoto laughed. "Sorry...but I'm sure you can figure something out, Ami-chan. You and Setsuna."

Ami blushed a bit. "Well...maybe." She winced a little as Makoto clapped her on the shoulder.

"Of course you can!" Makoto winked. Her brash smile softened into a gentle one. "But don't worry about it right now...you've got a lot to think about. Good luck, Ami-chan."

"Thank you Mako-chan...tell Rei I said hello."

"I will!" Makoto turned and headed off in the direction of the Hikawa Shrine, leaving Ami standing in the intersection alone. She waited for the light to turn and crossed the street, her face pensive.

What was she going to do? Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she considered how badly this could all turn out...all the times she had lied to her mother, all the times she had kept things from her...Dr. Mizuno could be very, very unhappy with her, and Ami didn't think she could blame her.

This wasn't right...it wasn't how she planned it at all. She had planned to tell her mother about her relationship with Minako before long, for Heaven's sake! She had privately thought that that news might occupy the older woman enough that she'd forget about any suspicions of her daughter being a Sailor Senshi. But doing it the other way around? -Mom, I'm a Sailor Senshi...I put myself in lethal danger on a semi-regular basis, along with all my friends. Oh, and I'm gay.-

Ami shook her head. No...that just didn't sound right at all. She groaned softly, so as not to disturb any of the other people walking down the street. This was going to be a disaster, she knew it...she stopped suddenly and took a deep, steadying breath. Wait...panicking before anything had actually happened wasn't going to do any good at all. Besides...she smiled as she saw Minako's house come into view. It was time for a more pleasant diversion.

A quick look showed her that Minako's mother wasn't home, which was all to the good. She sped up her stride and was soon at her girlfriend's doorstep, where a familiar white, furry bundle was curled in sleep. "Artemis?" Ami asked in surprise. There was no movement from the cat, so Ami nudged him with her toe. "Artemis? Why are you sleeping out here?"

With a murmur of displeasure Artemis uncurled, stretching and yawning hugely. "Why?" He finally asked in a bleary tone. "Can't you hear that?" Ami paused. Now that he mentioned it, she could hear something...kind of a low, rhythmic growling. She blinked.

"Artemis...that's not..."

"Yeah, it's her." Artemis said, sitting up and lapping at his paw. "She snores like this when she's exhausted...you might want to keep that in mind for later." He said slyly, turning one eye up towards her. Ami blushed deeply, looking up at Minako's balcony overhead.

"I didn't know she was that tired." She murmured. "Whatever she did to break Tachyon's hold on her took more of her energy than I realized."

"Well, you have to admit it was quite a trick." Artemis said. "And pretty lucky that she did it just then, or you two would have been in a lot of trouble." Ami looked down at Artemis again, hearing something odd in the white cat's voice. He continued to bathe himself obliviously, but something in his overall bearing suggested an insufferable level of pleasure.

But before Ami could ask, Artemis had a question of his own. "So what brings you out here again?"

"Oh...well..." Ami quickly sketched in the story of what had happened in Chibi-Usa's hospital room. "...So I was going to tell Minako and maybe ask her for some advice, but if she's that tired, maybe I should just go..."

"No!" Artemis said sharply, bouncing to his feet. "Believe me, Ami-chan, Minako would want you to wake her up for this." Now he looked and sounded terribly worried. "I'll hop up there and wake her, then you come in..." He paused. "Ami-chan...I just have to warn you...she may not be very helpful about this. This sort of thing is very hard for her...but please, please try to understand." Ami nodded a little, and Artemis was off, jumping onto her shoulders and then up into the balcony above.

A few moments later and the sound of Minako's massive snores was cut off. Artemis hopped back down and twined around Ami's legs. "Okay." He said. "Go on up...and please be patient with her." Ami gave a small smile.

"I'll try." She promised, wondering at the cat's reaction. She knew that telling her mother anything made Minako terribly nervous, but it wouldn't be as bad as all that...after all, if she was that paranoid, Ami doubted that Sailor V would have taken such a risk as coming to her home that night.

She quickly headed up to Minako's room and pushed the door open, only to stop dead in her tracks. Minako was sitting up in bed, the covers gathered around her waist. She had a small, tired smile of welcome on her face, and her hair, free from its bow, cascaded down her shoulders and pooled all around her, the late afternoon sun catching it as it shone through the window and setting it alight with golden fire. In that moment, she was so beautiful that Ami's breath left her entirely.

Then Minako winked playfully, and the spell was broken. "Miss me?" She asked softly. She held her arms out entreatingly, and Ami felt her feet carry her to the bed so that she could sink into them, sliding her arms around Minako's waist and pressing her face into her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her voice muffled. Minako chuckled and Ami felt her hand running through her short hair.

"Much better...I'm still a bit tired, but I think I'm functional now. Artemis said something important happened?"

"Yes..." Ami sighed, pulling away from Minako. Her hand rested on the other girl's leg through the covers, and Minako placed her own hand over it, giving it a small squeeze. "You see..." Ami quickly related the story of everything that had happened since she and the other Senshi had dropped Minako at home, the hospital, and her mother's appearance.

"I'm due at home pretty soon now, and I think it would be a good idea to be right on time." Ami finished. "I just thought...you should know."

Minako was quiet, and Ami glanced over at her to see her looking down into her lap with an odd expression on her face. It seemed worried, but at the same time...relieved. She looked up, and the expression vanished behind a bright, somewhat empty smile. "Thanks for letting me know...Artemis was right, I'm glad you woke me up." Her face became more serious, and Ami was relieved to see it. This expression felt a lot more...real...than the smile Minako had shown before.

"If I were you, I'd let her say everything she wants to before you offer anything." Minako was saying. "No sense counting the horses before the cart, right?"

Ami chuckled softly and squeezed Minako's hand. "Right."

"I mean, she might not really know anything, and might just be waiting for you to give something away." Minako said thoughtfully. "But...if she does know...what do you think she'll do?"

"I really don't know." Ami said softly, shaking her head. "But she didn't seem too happy at the hospital." She sighed again, feeling the weight of her own scattered plans pressing down on her again. "It really wasn't supposed to be like this."

Minako puffed out her cheeks and sighed. "I know...I guess I'm just not used to dealing with a mom as observant as yours." She chuckled. "I'm a little relieved, though." She admitted. "For a second, I was afraid she'd found out about the two of us."

Ami felt a little prick at that, and looked hard at the other girl. "Mina-chan...she's going to find out eventually."

Minako was temporarily oblivious to her girlfriend's expression and gave a small, resigned laugh. "Yeah, I guess she'll find out eventually."

"No, Minako." Ami said softly, and Minako looked over at her, noticing Ami's demeanor for the first time, her smile dying on her lips. "I want to tell her myself before she finds out on her own."

The blonde girl's expression made her look somewhat as if she'd hit a wall. "I...I don't see why you'd have to do that now." She said quickly, in a slightly panicky voice. "I mean, with everything else it doesn't seem..." She stopped as Ami lifted a hand.

"I didn't say anything about telling her right now." She said. "But I do want to tell her. It's been hard enough keeping the truth about being a Sailor Senshi from her...I don't want to lie to her about the person I love." Ami felt herself getting irritated, and seemed to sense a similar emotion coming from Minako. They were getting into dangerous ground here, but neither one seemed able to stop it.

"Ami..." Minako said, giving her a smile that struck Ami as a little patronizing. "I know it's hard sneaking around her, but we can handle it. We managed to sleep together without her finding out, remember?" She gave a short laugh, but stopped when she saw that Ami wasn't returning it.

"It's more than that." Ami said quietly. "I wish you understood..."

"What don't I understand?" Minako actually snapped at her, and Ami jerked, her back stiffening.

"That I want her to be a part of my life. That I actually like my mother!" The words left Ami's mouth before she could stop them, and her hands flew to her mouth. Minako's eyes widened slightly, then just seemed to shut down. She pulled her hand away from Ami's and looked at the far wall.

"Maybe you should go." She said in a quiet, toneless voice.

"Mina-chan, I'm sorry..." Ami said. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded..."

"Please, go." The words seemed to hang in the air. Ami slowly took her hand from Minako's leg and stood up. She bit her lip tightly, feeling terribly torn. She was still angry at Minako's reaction, but she felt horrible about what she said...and more than anything, she loved Minako, and she didn't want to leave her hurt.

"I'll...I'll go." She finally said, swallowing to keep herself from crying. "I'm sorry Mina-chan."

"Ami..." Minako's voice was shaking as well. "I'm sorry too...I really am. But I just need to be alone right now." Ami nodded, not caring if Minako could see her or not, and rushed out of the room and out of Minako's house, leaving the blonde girl sitting on her bed, clenching her hands in the blankets until her knuckles turned white.

Ami left so quickly that she never noticed Artemis crouched just outside Minako's door, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth. After Ami rushed past, he stood up, shaking his head back and forth. "That was a mistake..." He whispered. The sounds of muffled sobs emanated from the open doorway and the white cat sighed deeply. "Oh Minako..." Artemis crept into the bedroom to offer his charge some comfort.

-------------------

Ami ended up getting home late after all. After leaving Minako's house, she walked very slowly, taking the long way to her apartment building. She was still terribly upset, but she no longer felt like she needed to cry. She was trying desperately hard to do as Artemis had asked, to understand, but it was very hard.

Growing up as she had, shy, intelligent and very lonely, she had, to a certain extent, learned to harden her heart against the hurt she received. But she couldn't do that here...her feelings for Minako had become too deep. Instead she felt a raw painful ache in her chest that she didn't know how to deal with.

She wondered if Minako felt as hurt as she did, and hated herself for it. She'd never questioned Minako's feelings before, but if she really didn't understand why Ami thought it was so important to tell her mother about their relationship...Ami sighed deeply and looked up. She had put it off for as long as was conceivably possible, but she had arrived at home. Putting Minako out of her mind as best she could, Ami now concentrated on the task ahead, dealing with her mom.

When Ami entered her apartment, she was momentarily relieved. Her mother was still in the process of putting her things away, a sure sign she had arrived mere minutes ahead of Ami. She hadn't been waiting for her long. "You're home late." Dr. Mizuno said, giving her daughter a gentle smile that seemed to drain some of the tension out of the room.

"Yes...I had to think some things over." Under the circumstances, it felt good to tell her mother something that was absolutely true. Dr. Mizuno nodded and sank into a chair at the kitchen table. After a moment's hesitation, Ami did the same. Silence reigned for several minutes as Ami watched her mother looking off into space with a thoughtful expression. Ami began to wonder if she shouldn't speak first after all, when her mother spoke again.

"Ami...I've had some time to think some things over myself." She paused and let out a great sigh, her pensive face almost a mirror image of her daughter's. "I've known...I've known for a while now that there were things you couldn't tell me about. Things about you and your friends, who you are and what you do. And it hurt Ami...it hurts then, and it hurts now, because I don't understand why you feel like you can't tell me these things."

The blue haired girl bit her lip and looked down at the table, unable to think of anything worthwhile to say. After a moment, Dr. Mizuno continued. "But, I trust you Ami. And I believe that if you won't tell me, there's a good reason for it. Something I don't know. And I was ready to leave it at that." She sighed again, and Ami looked up cautiously. Her mother was running her fingers through her short, dark hair, a sure sign that she was feeling very stressed.

"But today, with Chibi-Usa...she's Usagi's cousin, isn't she?" Ami gave a tiny nod, and her mother returned it. "Ami...I had never imagined that...what you do...would put a child like her in danger. And if it does, then it isn't just about you and I anymore. It can't be, if innocents like Chibi-Usa are involved and at risk...you know that as a doctor I can't just turn a blind eye to that. I have to know more.

"I just told you that I trust you, and I meant it. So what you say next will be very important. I need you to tell me that innocent people are not put in danger by what you do."

Ami took a deep breath and looked into her mother's eyes. This, at least, was easier than she had feared it would be. "Mom, I...all of us...we all do our best to make sure no innocent people ever get hurt, no matter what we do. That's really the point of what we do."

Dr. Mizuno studied her daughter's face for a moment, then broke into a smile. "I hoped you would say something like that." She tilted her head slightly. "Is that all you can tell me?"

For a wild, breathless moment, Ami had an almost overpowering urge to tell her everything, about her, the Sailor Senshi, Minako...-Mina-chan!- The sharp mental cry went through Ami's heart again and made her close her eyes tightly, turning her head away from her mother.

"Ami?" Dr. Mizuno asked, suddenly sounding concerned. Ami forced herself to open her eyes and turn back, a small, sad smile on her face.

"That's all." She finally said in a voice just above a whisper. "I'm sorry..." She continued, her voice gaining a little more strength. "I know it must seem sort of silly at this point. But there's more going on than just this...and I need to sort it all out for myself first."

Ami's mother nodded a little, still looking worried. "Take as much time as you need, Ami." She said softly. "But if you think talking might help, you know I'm always ready to listen."

"I do..." Ami said, standing. She felt perilously close to tears all of a sudden without knowing exactly why. "Thank you Mom...I think I should go study for awhile, okay?" She smiled, hoping her voice didn't reflect how shaky she actually felt.

"Okay." Dr. Mizuno's voice gave no sign whether she noticed or not. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

"Great!" Ami forced herself to walk to her room at a casual place and gently close the door behind her. Once inside, she hurried to her desk and opened her bookbag, finding the most fiendishly difficult problems that she had to work on. As her brilliant mind kicked into gear, her wounded heart faded to a dull, throbbing ache that could be hidden behind the cool, soothing panacea of her pure, unsullied facts.

-------------------

Later that night, Minako lay on her stomach on her bed, staring at her phone where it lay on the floor. Artemis had left her alone at her request after she had cried herself out, and was most likely at Usagi's house visiting with Luna and Diana...or just out in the neighborhood finding trouble. Minako, still weary from the days experiences, had fallen asleep again and it was quite late when she awoke.

As late as it was, she knew Ami would be awake as well...the girl liked to stay up late to work. She'd be there, if Minako called.

But would she call? Minako pressed her face into her mattress and sighed. She should...she really should. But she felt so hurt, so betrayed by what Ami had said to her. And even that was unfair, because Minako knew that this whole situation was her fault.

-And do you have anything to say?- She asked inside her mind. But the voice, whoever or whatever it was, had been silent since it forced her into action against Tachyon. Minako was just as glad it was gone, anyway. She wasn't entirely convinced it's presence didn't mean she was going crazy. And if she wasn't, the other possibilities weren't any less disturbing.

She extended her arm and let her fingertips rest against her cell phone's case, drumming at it lightly. What would she say to Ami? What could she? What was Ami thinking about right now? How had her talk with her mother gone? Maybe she told her everything just to get back at her!

That was an incredibly petty thought, and it made Minako ashamed of herself. Ami wouldn't do anything like that, not ever, and Minako knew it. Still...Minako took her hand from the phone and rolled over, gathering her blankets around her.

Ami probably needed a little time to process everything that had happened, Minako decided. Trying to talk to her now might just make things worse. She'd give her a little time...that would probably be best.

But as Minako continued on into a lonely, sleepless night, she found her heart still gnawing at her, making rest impossible.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have horrible luck with relationships, personally, but if I have one piece of wisdom on the subject, it is this; Never leave angry, never go to bed with things unsettled. The tiniest argument can explode all out of proportion if bad feelings are allowed to fester longer than necessary.

Sailormoon and all associated characters belong to their respective owners. All original characters belong to me, excluding any versions of said characters which may exist independently in alternate realities. They belong to the alternate versions of myself, who surely rule said realities.


	28. Chapter 28

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 28

While Ami had continued on to Minako's house, Makoto had turned her feet towards the Hikawa Shrine. In truth, Rei's attitude of late had been a source of increasing alarm to Makoto. First there had been the thing with her and Michiru...which told Makoto that Rei's feelings towards the Senshi of the Sea were deeper than she had suspected. Makoto was still trying to decide how she felt about that...

But anyway, there had been that. And then, just when it seemed like Rei had been getting over it, this had happened. Rei's spirit had always seemed so indomitable, but now that her identity as a Sailor Senshi had been stripped from her, Makoto worried.

The brunette girl shook her head angrily as she walked along the icy streets of Tokyo. -She's still a Sailor Senshi.- She thought to herself. -I have to remember that because...I think maybe she's forgotten.-

She climbed the steps up the shrine carefully, watching for any icy patches. When she reached the top, she saw Yuuichirou relaxing on the shrine's wooden steps, drinking something hot and steaming out of a bowl. The young man noticed her and waved. "Hi there Makoto-chan!" He smiled broadly.

Makoto smiled and waved back. "Hi Yuuichirou-kun." She looked over at Rei's room. "I'm here to visit Rei."

Yuuichirou's smile fell away. "Oh...you missed her. She went out for a walk." He scratched at his head. "Rei-san's been acting kind of...strange since she got out of the hospital."

With a sigh, Makoto nodded. "Yeah...I was going to try to cheer her up. I don't guess you know where she went?" Yuuichirou shook his head.

"No...I was busy sweeping up. But she didn't leave very long ago." A small breeze sprang up, knocking a lock of hair out of the baseball cap Makoto was wearing and into her eyes. She blew it out of the way with an irritated expression.

"Well, thanks Yuuichirou. I guess I'll go see if I can find her." She turned with a wave and headed down the steps again. When she hit street level she kicked idly at the bottom step. "How I'm gonna find her I don't know..." She muttered. More out of a sense of futility than anything else she tried to get Rei on her communicator, but as she had suspected there was no answer.

Makoto paced up and down the street a few times, keeping an eye out for Rei's approach. With evening coming on the street was emptying quickly but there was no sign of the dark haired miko. Finally, in a spirit of sullen stubbornness, Makoto sat on the steps and settled in to wait. It wasn't until the streetlights started to flicker on that she heard footsteps on the sidewalk and looked up to see Rei coming home. The girl stopped a short distance away, surprised to see someone sitting on her steps, then blinked as recognition set in.

"Mako-chan? What are you doing here? Did something happen?" Makoto shook her head.

"No...I just wanted to talk for a little while." She smiled. "Have a nice walk?"

"Um...yes..." Rei said, looking around with a distant expression in her face. Then she looked back down at Makoto sharply as a thought struck her. "How long have you been waiting out here?"

"Uh...Yuuichirou said I just missed you..." Rei's mouth opened and closed again.

"You've been out here this whole time?" She asked incredulously. She stepped closer and held out her hand. "Give me your hand." She demanded imperiously.

Blushing a bit, but feeling rather relieved to hear some 'Rei-ness' in the other girl's voice, Makoto did as commanded. Rei sucked in her breath and her hand tightened around Makoto's.

"Mako-chan you're frozen!" She exclaimed. Without a backwards glance she started up the stone steps, yanking the taller girl along behind her. "What were you thinking? You're gonna get pneumonia like this!"

Makoto smiled ruefully and tried to keep her balance as Rei pulled her along. -Well, you wanted to see her back to normal...- She reminded herself. The shrine's courtyard was dim and empty as Rei resolutely dragged Makoto across it. They entered Rei's room and Rei closed the screen firmly behind her.

"You, sit." She said, pointing to her bed. She finally released the other girl and hurried to a small coffee maker she had on a shelf. "I'll make us something hot to drink." Before sinking onto the mattress, Makoto rubbed her backside, which had gone completely numb after sitting on the cold stone for such a long time.

As the smell of brewing coffee filled the bedroom, Makoto felt warmth sinking into her extremities once again. After a few minutes, Rei tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a cup. Makoto took it gratefully, holding it both hands to get the most out of its heat. Rei took her own cup and sat at her small table, looking down at it. After a moment, Makoto left the bed and joined her.

It was quiet for a few minutes as they each sipped their coffee, and Makoto noted with distress that Rei had that brooding, defeated expression on her face once again. Finally Rei spoke in a low, sad voice. "I don't need you to feel sorry for me, Mako-chan."

Makoto looked up in surprise. "Sorry for you?" She said with a small, confused smile.

"Yes...I don't want you to feel like you have to come here. You had a long day, and you shouldn't be obligated to see me out of pity."

"That's not why I came." Makoto said firmly, her hands tightening around her cup. "I don't feel sorry for you Rei-chan...but I am worried about you."

"Just as bad." Rei muttered sullenly. Makoto put her cup down and folded her arms on the table, leaning forward a bit.

"Hey, Rei-chan...we're friends, right? After everything that's happened, why wouldn't I be worried? Wouldn't you be worried about me?" Makoto thought it was a good point, but Rei didn't seem in the mood for reason at the moment, and just shook her head quickly.

"That's not the point." She said, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. "Look Mako-chan...like I said before, I hate all of this. I hate not being able to do anything to help the rest of you while you're all trying to help me. It'd be better if you all just forgot about me."

"What?" Makoto said, leaning back quickly. "Rei-chan, that's ridiculous! We're not gonna just forget about you...and whether you like it or not, we're going to help you."

Rei opened her mouth to retort, only to close it again. The flash of anger seemed to vanish as quickly as it had appeared, and the girl just seemed to wilt without it. "Just leave me alone." She said listlessly.

"When you're acting like this?" Makoto said in disbelief. "I don't think so."

"Well, how am I supposed to ask?" Rei said, looking down at her half-empty cup again.

"I don't know." Makoto said, waving her hand in an enthusiastic, if rather vague gesture. "More like...you! Hino Rei shouldn't just roll over and take something like this!"

"And do what?" Rei demanded, slamming her hands on the table as she stood with such force that her cup tipped, spilling what was left of her coffee over the wooden surface. "Don't you get it Mako-chan? I can't do anything! She beat me...I'm not even a Senshi anymore. I can't fight, I can't help you guys..." Her voice caught and she suddenly sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "I can't do anything." She repeated miserably, sinking her head down into her folded arms.

There was a short pause. "I can't believe this." Makoto said in a disgusted tone. Rei lifted her head, a hurt expression on her face. "So Sailor Mars gets knocked down and she just lies down and dies? She doesn't even try to get up?"

"But I can't..." Makoto made a sharp chopping motion with her hand and cut Rei off.

"No! I heard you the first couple of times, Rei-chan." She placed her hands on her cheeks and spoke in a whining, listless tone. "Oh, I can't do anything. I'm weak. Poor me."

Rei bristled. "How dare you..."

"How dare I?" Makoto snapped, cutting her short again. "How dare I?" Makoto was getting well and truly angry now, not really at Rei herself, but at this weak, whiny persona that she had assumed. "No, how dare you let the rest of us down by giving up like this! I've got news for you, Rei-chan...you don't find out how strong you are when you have power. The test is to be totally powerless and still find the strength to fight!"

Rei looked away sullenly. "As if you'd know..."

Makoto slammed her fist down on the tabletop with a force that seemed to shake the room. Rei's gaze snapped back, her eyes widening with just a hint of fear. Makoto leaned forward until she was right in Rei's face, and Rei couldn't do anything but tilt her head back nervously.

"I know." Makoto said in a tight, dangerously quiet tone. "You don't. You have no idea what it was like to grow up all alone with no family and no friends in a world that seemed totally against you." Normally Makoto would sooner get on a plane than talk about her childhood, but at the moment she was past caring.

"The world's a terrifying place when you're a little girl who doesn't have anything. I still have nightmares about some of it. And when you're all alone like that, nobody thinks you're worth anything. For a while, neither did I. But then I decided to fight...powerless and all alone, I decided to fight it, until I was able to make myself worth something." Her voice trembled and cracked. "So don't tell me I don't know!" She shouted, turning her face away as her eyes welled up with tears.

Rei's eyes softened and she made as if to reach out to the other girl. "Mako-chan..." She stopped as Makoto lifted her hand in a sharp, warding gesture. After a moment Makoto took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"You're still the same person." She finally said in a much more composed voice. "And you're still a Sailor Senshi. Tachyon can't defeat you the way you think she has...you're the only one who can do that."

Those words seemed to hang in the air in the silence that followed. Rei could only meet Makoto's fierce gaze for a moment before having to turn her eyes downward again. "I...I don't know what to say." Rei finally said in a faint voice.

"Sat that you're going to school tomorrow." Makoto said intently. "Say that during the meeting you won't just hide in the corner with that broken look in your eyes. It's not you, Rei-chan. And we all miss you."

Rei puffed out her cheeks and let out a long breath. "I'm...sorry." She said, looking like the words were sticking in her craw. "I'm sorry." She repeated, the words coming easier. "I didn't want to put you through...something like that." She looked up and gave Makoto a wan smile.

Makoto returned it. "I might have overreacted some." She admitted, shrugging a little bit. "But seeing you like that...it really got to me." She blushed suddenly as she truly realized just how much she had let it get to her.

Rei actually chuckled a little bit. "Well...you're really good at spoiling some really good self pity." Makoto laughed a bit at that as well. After another short pause, the brunette stood.

"I should go home...I have to make dinner, and I still have some homework."

Rei nodded. "Right. I have some things to think about...but I'll see you tomorrow." Makoto nodded back and turned to leave. "Mako-chan..." Makoto turned back. Rei was biting her lip, looking at her with eyes that showed a new understanding. "I don't want to embarrass you, and I don't want to push you. But, if you ever feel like you need to talk about...things...I'm here, and I'll listen."

Makoto gave the dark haired girl a sad, tender smile and nodded. "Thanks Rei-chan...maybe someday I will." Makoto wrapped her scarf around her throat and left Rei's bedroom, heading to her small apartment. Sometimes she felt a little desolate about returning to her empty home, but right now she thought she could use the solitude. She had a lot of things to think about herself, and her emotions were a churning mess in her gut.

She never talked about her childhood, not even in the oblique way that she just had spoken of it to Rei. To talk about it was to invite the memories of it back, and the feelings those emotions engendered. And Makoto fought hard to keep those memories away.

But at that moment, what was even more disconcerting was the massive surge of frustration and anger that had driven Makoto to speak of it in the first place. She hadn't planned on it, not at all. But something about seeing her fiery, passionate Rei so defeated had inspired a protective impulse so strong that nothing else had seemed to matter at the time.

"I guess I'm not as over you as I thought." Makoto whispered into the still, cold air. Then she smiled resignedly. -Well,- She thought, -If it helped bring the real you back, Rei-chan...I guess this time it was okay.-

-------------------

When Setsuna returned home later that same night the house was dark, save for a dim light coming through the living room window. Warned by some sixth sense, or perhaps just previous experience, the tall woman entered the house through the side door leading to the kitchen rather than the front, leaving her white lab coat on a hook by the door.

And sure enough when she entered the house she could hear muffled murmurs from the living room, ending with a surprisingly girlish giggle that could only have come from Michiru. Rolling her eyes with a fond smile Setsuna turned on the kitchen light and made her way out to the living room. Several dozen candles were set all around the room, filling it with a dim golden glow.

Michiru was standing there on the other side of the couch, her body wrapped in a thin blanket. Her aquamarine hair cascaded down her bare shoulders, looking quite tousled. Despite that, her serene and graceful smile remained quite unruffled. "Setsuna." She said in way of greeting, her voice sounding just a bit breathless. "We didn't hear you pull up."

It was a sight to give any lesser observer a nosebleed, but Setsuna just smiled a bit sardonically. "I wonder why?" She murmured, and there was a chuckle from the unseen occupant of the couch. "Haruka?" She asked, and an arm appeared over the back of the couch in a lazy wave. Setsuna lifted an eyebrow. "You only brought down one blanket?" She asked.

"Combined body heat is a more efficient way of generating warmth." Haruka's voice said casually from the couch.

"Under the circumstances I should think so." Setsuna said with a deadpan expression, and Michiru's cheeks actually turned a shade pinker at that. The Guardian of Time glanced up at the stairs. "Hotaru is spending the night with Chibi-Usa?" She guessed, and Michiru nodded.

"And we weren't expecting you back from the university for quite some time yet...obviously." Michiru said with a light smile, glancing down at where Haruka lay. "Did something happen?"

Setsuna shook her head and sighed a bit. "No...I just couldn't concentrate." There was a shifting from the couch and suddenly Haruka appeared, folding her arms on the back of the couch and looking at her. Her short blonde hair was mussed heavily in all directions and it was fairly obvious she was...underdressed. But her expression was serious as she looked at Setsuna.

"Setsuna, you need to let it go. We had to go, and the only one who knew that Tachyon's knife had been knocked off the building was Minako. And she was out like a light." By the time the Outer Senshi had returned to the sight of Tachyon's attack on Venus and Mercury, the knife was nowhere to be found, and they had been forced to conclude that the child had sent someone back to retrieve it.

"Yes..." Setsuna said with a long sigh of dissatisfaction. "I know you're right...but it just seems like such a wasted opportunity. I could finally have gained some ground against her."

"You're not being very fair to yourself." Michiru said gently. "You've blocked us from her foresight, and derailed her plans on two occasions now."

"And besides that, it's obvious she's terrified of you. Something about you really rubs her crazy the wrong way." Haruka smiled. "You're doing fine." She paused for a moment. "But don't think she's your sole responsibility."

Michiru nodded. "It's true that you're our best chance against her, but she is an enemy to all of us, and we're all ready to help you fight her."

Setsuna was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "I know." Suddenly, she even chuckled a bit. "Of course, it would be easier to take the two of you seriously if you were wearing...anything."

Everyone laughed at that and Haruka nodded. "Alright, get into the kitchen for a moment and we'll head up to get dressed. Maybe we can all go out to eat?"

Michiru nodded, and Setsuna smiled softly. "I don't want to spoil your evening together." She said. "I can just as easily get something to eat on my own."

"Don't be silly Setsuna." Michiru said with a smile. "Dinner sounds lovely, and I think we could all use each other's company."

Haruka slipped back down behind the back of the couch. "We were almost done anyway." She drawled. Michiru looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"We?"

-------------------

Late that night, Tachyon sat in her favored armchair in the sitting room of her mansion. There were no lights on in the room, and it was lit but dimly from the starlight coming through the windows. But Tachyon was not asleep. Tachyon did not sleep, ever. The energies that empowered her denied her the peace of slumber.

Her glittering eyes stared out at the darkened room as thoughts, broken and fragmented, climbed over one another in her mind. Her loss of control during the battle earlier disturbed her deeply. It had been such a long time since she had done such a thing, not since Hadron had found her and taught her a measure of control over her wild temporal powers.

Tachyon's existence before Hadron was a nightmarish blur. How old was she? When and where had she been born? Who was her family? She knew there were answers to these questions, but they had been lost to her long ago. Time had stripped the answers from her mind.

"Time..." The word hissed through the room like a curse, and Tachyon couldn't tell if she had spoken or not. As if in response, she felt the invisible bonds that were wrapped across her entire body tighten. The threads, the tendrils, sticky and slimy, that held every being in thrall to the ultimate tyrant, Time. The others, pathetic, ignorant sheep that they were, couldn't feel them. But she could...she could.

How could she not? It was these chains that held her frozen in a child's body. These chains that had pulled her back and forth through the timeline during her early existence. She could have been born at the creation of the universe, during its distant end, or any time in between. She had seen both, she knew. The chaos of being yanked from one era to another, the agony of being torn through time again and again had built and built until her mind had snapped under the strain.

All she could remember from before were the kills, standing out in the chaotic screaming of her past life like bright, cold jewels. Oh, how she loved to kill...it satisfied a gnawing, terrible need inside her. It was her revenge, both against Time and all the disgusting creatures enslaved by it. She hated them all, sailing through their lives, protected by their ignorance.

For Tachyon knew that it was her awareness of Time that had incurred Its wrath. It feared her knowledge, and had punished her for it. Hadron could seek to rule the universe, but Tachyon knew there would never be a tyrant as great and terrible as Time. But killing...Tachyon shivered in her seat and drew her fingertips along the blade of her knife.

Killing was like tearing free a fragment of Time's dominion and casting it into the void. When she took a victim, that thing became hers, her plaything. She ruled over its passage through time. She became it's master, not Time. And when she finally took it's life, she denied that thing to Time forever more.

Suddenly her bonds tightened around her body, and Tachyon couldn't breath. Fighting for air, Tachyon scrabbled at her throat, trying to free herself, but it was no use. She rolled off the chair, and the chair vanished. Eyes open wide, she looked around. The room, the mansion, everything was gone.

Instead there was just a great spider web hanging in the blackness, and she lay in its center. Still fighting for every breath she tried to tear herself free, and she felt her flesh rip as the noxious smelling threads held her tight. The web began to shake violently, and the child looked up in terror.

There was the spider, a vast, bloated creature whose black fangs dripped steaming venom. Its stench was everywhere and despite her lack of breath Tachyon gagged and choked. Though it caused her blinding agony she tore free from the threads holding her in place and tried to run. But bound up as she still was, the spider was faster, coming at her with unbelievable speed.

This was the true face of Time the tyrant. It had come, It had come for her at last. And now It would devour her, drinking down her mind, body and soul to punish her for defying It. She screamed, fighting to get away.

"Lady Tachyon?" The door to the sitting room cracked open, and a daeva, too foolish and new to Tachyon's service to know better, peered inside to find the source of the disturbance. His eyes widened. The little girl was scrabbling frantically at the other wall as if trying to climb it. But when his voice sounded through the room, she stopped, spinning around and staring with wide eyes that saw nothing.

The daeva never saw Tachyon's approach. One moment she was on the other side of the room, the next she was right in front of him, her knife slicing across his chest in a glittering arc. He had no time to scream before the knife swung back and sliced deeply through his throat. The daeva fell to the ground, and Tachyon leapt atop him, the knife coming down again and again.

Several minutes later, Tachyon's eyes cleared and the child returned to herself. Her breath coming in ragged sobs, she looked down at her blood-coated form and then down at what was left of the daeva beneath her. Glancing up, she saw her knife in her upraised hand and watched, entranced, as the blood dripped from its needle-like tip. Suddenly she shuddered heavily as a wave of deep pleasure washed over her, followed by a smaller wave of regret that the kill had come so quickly.

Tachyon wiped her blade clean on her victim and stood, still breathing heavily. Her waking nightmare was quickly fading to the back of her tortured psyche, and in the aftermath of her victim's death she felt her mind growing clearer and calmer. The threads of Time, her chains, were still there...if she lifted her hand to her face she could smell their stink beneath the blood. But their sensation had faded to a bearable point once more.

With a clearer mind, she could summon the cogency to make a new plan. Meson, she knew, was very eager for her to complete her true mission. And truth be told, so was Tachyon. Hadron's promise to her had always been that once her mission was completed, she would have the power to achieve her heart's desire. But before she could do that, things had to be settled with Sailor Pluto.

Sailor Pluto...the little girl hated her like she hated nobody else. She knew. Tachyon was positive that she knew the truth, as Tachyon herself did. But rather than fight against the cruel dominion of Time, she had sold her soul to her. Such a betrayal was more than Tachyon could ever forgive, and she swore to punish Sailor Pluto for it.

And she would...nobody would ever suffer the way that Sailor Pluto would suffer. And Tachyon would begin by stealing away those close to her and using them up until there was nothing left. Perhaps Sailor Pluto could stop Tachyon from taking them herself, but that was what servants were for. And there was one servant in particular...Tachyon giggled softly.

"Oh yes...tomorrow it really starts." She chirped, turning back to her armchair and sinking into it, ignoring the grisly mess that still covered her, and the crumpled corpse of her victim. She sat, toying with the blade of her knife as she waited for the dawn, a sunny smile on her angelic, blood-spattered face.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Busy night for everyone involved, eh? I wanted to give a little more insight into Tachyon's madness, so I hope everybody enjoyed that! Well, tomorrow should be even more exciting! Stay tuned!

Sailormoon and all associated characters belong to their respective owners. All original characters belong to me.


	29. Chapter 29

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 29

The next day, Friday, was an administrative service day for most of the high schools in the area, as the teachers got ready for the end of the semester. Rei alone out of all the Sailor Senshi had to attend school that day, and her friends met the news that she had gone with a certain amount of sympathetic relief.

Minako took advantage of the break to sleep late, very late indeed. Her slumber was dreamless and uninterrupted, and it was nearly one o'clock when she finally awoke. She yawned and stretched languidly, noting the time on the clock with a bit of amusement. She felt quite well rested, completely recharged after yesterday's exhaustion.

All of yesterday's events suddenly flooded into Minako's memory and killed her good mood in its infancy. The blonde girl reached over the side of the bed and felt around until she found her phone and checked it. No messages. Minako frowned and set the phone back down before heaving herself up into a sitting position. Ami hadn't called. What did that mean?

Before she could seriously consider the question, a very loud rumbling reminded Minako of how hungry she was. With a smirk, she rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for...she looked at the clock again. Lunch. She headed downstairs for lunch. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Artemis appeared around the corner. Without hesitation he hopped up onto the banister and onto her shoulder, where he licked at her ear. She cringed away from the ticklish sensation, giggling.

"Artemis, cut that out." She paused, sniffing. "I smell fish."

"That seafood restaurant was really sloppy with their delivery today." Artemis said innocently. "If a fish or two fell on the ground with a small amount of help, who am I to refuse the fates?"

"Right." Minako said, rolling her eyes and giving the white cat a scratch behind the ears. "Then I guess you don't want any of the tuna salad I was making for lunch?"

Artemis yawned and draped himself limply over Minako's shoulder. "It depends...is there going to be mustard involved?"

"No...and you know, you're awfully picky for a cat who just ate discarded fish."

"It wasn't discarded, it was stolen." Artemis said defensively. "There's a world of difference."

"Oh, my deepest apologies." Minako said as they entered the kitchen. Artemis hopped lightly off of her and onto the counter while she began preparing their lunch.

"Have you been up long?" Artemis asked, watching her with twitching whiskers as she opened the can of tuna.

"No...just got up a few minutes ago." Minako replied.

"It's probably a good thing there's no school today." The cat observed. "You were exhausted last night." He paused for a second. "So, have you thought about what you're going to do today?"

"About Ami, you mean?" Minako said, not turning to look at him. When he didn't reply, she sighed deeply. "She hasn't called...I really kind of thought she would have, by now. So I'm not sure what to do."

"All the Senshi are going to meet at Rei's shrine tonight." Artemis reminded her gently. "You two should probably try to sort things out before then."

"Yeah..." Minako looked down at the bowl of tuna salad she had just made. Suddenly she didn't feel quite so hungry. "I think I'm going to go out for awhile Artemis." She said, pulling out some bread for a sandwich she could take with her.

"Want some company?" Minako shook her head, scooping out some tuna and placing it on a plate for him.

"Not right now..." She wrapped up her sandwich and put it in the fridge along with the bowl. "I'll see you at the meeting tonight if I don't get back before then." Artemis nodded.

"Sure. And Minako?" The blonde girl turned back as she was about to leave the room. "It's just a little fight...this doesn't have to be a big problem. You just need to listen to each other." Minako nodded with a small, sad smile and headed back to her room to get dressed.

A short time later, Minako was walking aimlessly, taking an occasional bite of her sandwich as she watched the sunlight play on the snowmelt that seemed to be everywhere. Though winter had gotten an early start this year, a sudden spell of warmth was quickly making a damp mess of all the snow that had fallen lately.

What should she do about Ami? That question dominated her thoughts. Ami's comment about her mother the night before still hurt, quite a bit. She never imagined that she'd be hit there, certainly not by Ami...but on the other hand, there was no question in Minako's mind that she had caused the frustration that had caused Ami to lash back at her like that.

Popping the last corner of the sandwich in her mouth and licking a drop of mayonnaise from her thumb, Minako looked around to get her bearings. The blonde Senshi smiled suddenly, as she caught sight of the Outer Senshi's house just down the street. It seemed she had subconsciously wandered to place she had almost made up her mind to go.

Someone was just closing the front door behind them as Minako entered the gate, and drawing closer she saw that it was Michiru. The older woman turned and smiled as she caught sight of Minako, giving a small wave in welcome. "Hello Minako-chan." She said as she approached. "Feeling better I see."

"Yeah...I got a lot of sleep last night." Minako replied, giving her a bright smile. A frown crossed Michiru's features and she tilted her head, looking carefully at her. "Is there something wrong?" Minako asked, blinking.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Michiru said with a small smile. She stood straight and looked over at her driveway. "I was just about to get some tea and then do a little shopping...would you care to join me?" She asked, giving Minako a sidelong glance.

"Um...sure! But where's Haruka?"

"She and Usagi are taking Chibi-Usa and Hotaru out to lunch and then a trip to the skating rink." Michiru chuckled. "I think Haruka just likes to watch Usagi skate." Michiru never seemed to mind her lover's flirtatious relationship with Usagi, a fact that never ceased to impress Minako.

As they got into Michiru's car, Minako spoke. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you...Ami and I..." Michiru held up her hand as she slid gracefully into the driver's seat.

"It's better to talk about such things over tea, Minako-chan." She said with a gentle smile. "It helps us think." Minako gave a small nod, and Michiru returned it. "Now...I understand Rei went to school this morning?" Michiru made good use of her prodigious conversational skills during the short drive to her favorite tea shop, to the point that by the time they arrived and had sat down Minako was almost relaxed.

As they waited for their tea to arrive, there was a short pause as Michiru watched her younger companion, gathering her thoughts. "Tell me what happened...as much as you can." She finally said in a very quiet voice.

Minako blushed and looked down into her hands. "We had...sort of a fight last night." She started, and quickly told the story, being as totally honest as she could. By the time she had finished their tea and cakes had arrived, and there was another short pause. Minako waited for Michiru to speak first.

After taking a light sip of the hot liquid, the aqua-haired Senshi sat her cup down and leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed. "When you were staying with us, I told you that if you ever had a problem like this and needed to talk, you could come to me."

"I remember." Minako nodded softly. "That's why I'm here."

Michiru opened her eyes and smiled a bit. It was sort of a sad smile, Minako noticed. "I said something else, do you remember?" She chuckled a bit at Minako's blank expression. "I told you that we might have more in common about this than you might think. And I suppose I was right."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked curiously.

"I've never known much about your family, Minako-chan...in fact, from what I've been able to tall, nobody has. You've been very good at keeping your life there and your life with us separate."

"You're pretty good at keeping that a secret too, Michiru-chan." Minako pointed out with a small smile. "You and Haruka...I don't think any of us know anything about them."

"Haruka's family lives in Hokkaido now, and we don't see them very often...but they're actually wonderful people."

"What about your family?" Minako asked the question, and saw a grimace that looked eerily familiar cross over the older woman's features.

"My family doesn't care much for my choice of lifestyle." She said in a in a carefully pitched tone of irony. "We don't have much contact at all...and I prefer it that way." She took another sip from her tea and watched Minako's eyes over the rim of the cup. "And there lies the commonality I mentioned."

Minako looked askance at her, and Michiru smiled. "Tell me if any of this sounds familiar...a little girl is born to an affluent family. Though everyone would think she was happy, she isn't. Her parents are always gone, leaving her to be raised by people they hire. Even when they are there, they really aren't...far too busy with their careers and social life to be concerned with their lonely child.

"Years pass, and the girl grows up...she has friends, she is admired, even looked up to. But no matter how happy she seems on the outside, she can't ever really let go of that core of pain and loneliness. It stops her from falling in love. On one hand, she's afraid of letting someone get close enough to her to hurt her the way her family did. But on the other, she's even more afraid that she can't fall in love. That because of her parents, she's damaged or flawed in some way, and can't feel for someone the way that she should."

Michiru fell silent. Minako was biting her lip, looking down at her teacup. She began to speak, but found that her mouth had gone dry. She took a quick drink and tried again. "Yeah...it's kind of familiar." She finally said faintly. "But...I can't believe that that's you...I mean, you and Haruka..." She trailed off weakly.

"Haruka was the one who taught me that I really could fall in love, Minako-chan. But even after we had met, it wasn't easy." She sighed, but there was a gentle smile on her face as she did so. "When we were introduced, I already knew her, by sight and reputation. And I...admired her quite a bit." She chuckled softly, and Minako smiled.

"At the time, I resented being a Sailor Senshi...being set apart like that seemed only to emphasize my loneliness and solitude. And it seemed my destiny to abandon all my dreams for the sake of the mission I was fated to do. So at first, I was happy to learn that Haruka was destined to be my partner.

"But some time passed, and we got to know each other a little better. I thought my feelings for her were deepening beyond simple infatuation, but at the same time, the thought of being a Sailor Senshi alongside her had lost its luster. In fact, part of me didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. I worried that this was confirmation of everything that I feared, that I was too scared of being hurt and my emotions too shallow to love the way that Haruka deserved to be loved."

Michiru watched Minako carefully as she spoke. The younger girl still looked down at her hands, but her posture indicated that she was listening closely. "Then came the day that Haruka's power awoke. I watched her reach for her transformation wand, and I called out to her, to tell her to stop. And suddenly, I knew that I loved her." Minako glanced up at that, confusion on her face, and Michiru smiled softly at her.

"I realized then that the reason I didn't want her to be my partner was because I had come to love her to the point that her happiness was far more important to me than my own. I didn't want her to abandon her dreams the way I had to. My loneliness and pain meant nothing...as long as I knew she was happy. That was how I knew I loved her."

Michiru was quiet then, and there was quiet for a few minutes as Minako digested everything Michiru had said. When the last cake had finally disappeared, the blonde girl spoke. "I think I understand why you told me all this...but it's different with Ami and I..."

"Of course it is." Michiru said with a nod. "I didn't tell you that story because I thought the situations were all that similar. I told you because I wanted you to know that I've had the same fears and doubts that you seem to be having. I wanted you to know that you're not alone in this."

"Oh..." Minako thought for another moment. "So what do you think I should do?"

"I don't like to give instructions on matters like this." Michiru said, closing her eyes as she sipped her tea. Still holding the cup to her face, she opened one eye, giving Minako a sly expression. "If things go wrong it reflects badly on me." Minako laughed softly, and Michiru joined her.

"I will, however, state the obvious." Michiru continued, setting the cup down. "You should talk to Ami...give her a chance to apologize for what she said. You know how shy she is...she might not have called you because she's afraid you'll still be angry. Then you can apologize. And then I think you two need to talk about things." She paused. "But Minako-chan, you need to remember this...it doesn't matter if you tell Ami's mother that you love her daughter. It doesn't matter if you tell anyone. The only part that truly matters is when you admit to yourself that you truly do love her."

"But when will that happen?" Minako asked in a soft, sad voice.

"I can't tell you that. All I can do is tell you to keep moving forward. If you do, then you'll find yourself at the point where you have no choice but to let your true feelings flow out from behind all the pain you've been hiding them behind." She smiled. "I'm sure of it."

-------------------

Ami had been studying since she woke up. She didn't stop until shortly after noon, when Mamoru called her and asked if she had plans for lunch. For a moment, she considered begging off and continuing her schoolwork, but realized she would have to face her problems eventually, and Mamoru's advice might be helpful. So she agreed and met Mamoru a short time later at a small corner restaurant they both favored.

"I'm a little surprised that you aren't with Minako, Ami-chan." Mamoru said after they had ordered. Despite her plans to ask Mamoru for advice, she found herself unable to do anything but stammer out a meaningless excuse. Mamoru, who had been reaching over the table to look over the dessert menu, paused and sat back again. "Ami-chan? Did something happen?"

Ami blushed and looked down at her hands folded in her lap. "Minako and I had a fight last night." She whispered. "And I said something I shouldn't have."

Mamoru lifted his eyebrows. "What did you say?" Ami shook her head.

"Telling you would be betraying her trust...and by saying what I did, I feel like I've already done that." She sighed. "I hope she forgives me..."

"I'm sure she will." Mamoru said with a small smile. "But what were you fighting about?"

"I wanted to tell her about my mother before I went home and talked to her, so I went to see her." Ami said.

"I was going to ask you about that." Mamoru said, and Ami smiled a bit.

"That part actually didn't go so badly...I'll tell you about it later." She sighed. "Anyway...I told her, and somehow the conversation turned to telling Mom about her and me." She shook her head. "She's been so...resistant to the idea. I think I sort of understand, but I hate keeping everything from my mother." She smiled sadly. "I guess I was a little more frustrated than I realized."

Ami folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, a gloomy expression on her face. "This isn't going like I planned it." She murmured.

Though Ami couldn't see it, Mamoru's lips twitched up in a small smile of understanding at that. "How did you plan it, Ami-chan?"

"I wanted to tell Mom about Minako and I first...it would have been easier, and I thought it might have even distracted her from everything else. Now I feel so I trapped that I don't think I can tell her anything at all..." She groaned softly and rested her head in her folded arms. "And now the fight with Minako...I feel like my stomach's tying itself in knots."

"Ami-chan...a lot of the time things don't go the way we plan them to. Especially when love's involved." Ami looked up. "I know how much you like to plan things out...but I'm afraid that's probably going to be impossible here." Mamoru smiled. "Besides, romance would be dull if we could plan it all out, wouldn't it?"

Ami sighed and nodded. "Food." She said.

Mamoru blinked. "Food?" Ami pointed and Mamoru looked at the waiter approaching with their lunch. "Oh, food." He chuckled and they began eating.

"How do you not plan things out?" Ami asked between bites. "I mean, I start making plans whenever I have a spare moment to think."

"That's just testament to how fast your mind works." Mamoru pointed out, and Ami blushed. "But it's more about flexibility than not thinking. It's fine to have an idea of how something might happen, but you can't let yourself slip into a mindset of 'this is how this has to happen.'" He smiled. "If you don't want that stress to eat you alive, you need to learn to cope with unexpected events."

"I guess dating Usagi helped you with that, hm?" Ami said with a smile, and Mamoru laughed.

"Yes, I guess it kind of did." Ami's smile fell away after a moment, replaced with a pensive expression. Mamoru smiled a little at how the blue-haired girl's heart lay on her sleeve so often. -For such a shy girl, she doesn't hide her feelings very well.- He thought.

"Still worried?" He asked, and Ami looked up and nodded.

"I know you're right about all of that, but I still need to apologize for what I said." She sighed, running her fingers through her bangs. "I probably should have called her last night, but I really felt hurt when she kicked me out...and I didn't want her to yell at me." She smirked a little. "But I guess I would have had it coming."

"I don't think she would have yelled at you, Ami-chan." Mamoru said softly. "And I won't lie to you...you probably should have called. But I wouldn't worry too much...she's probably thinking just what you're thinking now, and waiting for you to call her." He smiled.

"You make it sound like it's a contest." Ami said, and Mamoru shook his head.

"Too many couples look at it that way, and it always causes problems. If you're waiting to apologize because you think she should apologize first, you're waiting for the wrong reasons. You should apologize as soon as you work up the courage to do it." He smiled. "And something tells me that you might be a little braver than Minako in this case."

Ami laughed a little. "Well, I'm working on it."

"Good." Mamoru grinned. "You seem to be feeling better." He observed.

"I guess I am." Ami admitted. "Talking all this out really helped me relax. I still don't know what I'm going to do about Mom, though. I'm going to have to tell her something before too long."

"Talk to Minako." Mamoru advised. "I'm sure the two of you can work something out." They had just about finished eating at that point, so they split the check and headed out. They hadn't been walking long before Ami caught sight of Minako and Michiru coming out of a tea shop.

Both pairs caught sight of each other, and met up in a few steps. Ami and Minako both blushed as they looked at each other. Michiru and Mamoru looked at the two of them and then smiled at one another. "Mamoru-kun...I think if we hurry we can catch Usagi, Haruka and the girls at the skating rink."

"That sounds like a great idea." He replied, though the facade barely seemed necessary...neither girl seemed very aware of anything but the other. "I guess we'll see you later, okay? Ami-chan?"

Ami blinked and looked over at him. "Oh...right...bye Mamoru-kun."

"Have fun you two." Michiru said, and Minako snapped out of it enough to smile.

"Good bye, Michiru-chan. Thanks for the tea." The two headed off with slightly amused expressions, leaving Minako and Ami still looking at each other.

"I'm sorry!" Both girls spoke at the same instant, then stared at each other. After a quiet moment, they both began to laugh. Acting on a sudden impulse, Minako tossed herself into Ami's arms, who hugged her back exuberantly.

"I'm really sorry." Ami murmured, running her fingers through Minako's long, golden hair. "I shouldn't have said that..." Minako placed two fingers against Ami's lips and the other girl fell quiet. Minako pulled back a little to look at her.

"I'm sorry too." She said softly. "I'm sorry I didn't understand how important this was for you. And I'm sorry I've been so stubborn about this."

They began walking down the street hand in hand. With the warm spell the street was crowded and they got more than a few looks, but they were past caring as they headed nowhere in particular.

"I didn't wake up until after noon." Minako said softly after a moment. "I would have called otherwise."

"Would you really?" Ami asked with a small smile, which Minako returned.

"Maybe not...I'd probably be too chicken."

"Me too." Ami giggled. There was another pause in the conversation and they walked on.

"So...did you have lunch with Mamoru?" Minako asked.

"Yes...but if you're hungry I could have a little something."

"No, I'm okay...I had some...um...brunch, and then some cakes with Michiru." She began to swing the hand that help Ami's back and forth a bit. "So what did the two of you talk about?" She asked, her voice exaggeratedly casual.

Ami looked over at her girlfriend, tilting her head curiously. "Mina-chan...is something wrong?"

"No...just curious. I mean I know you like spending time with him...and we just had a fight..." Minako became aware of Ami staring at her and realized she was digging herself in too deeply, so she trailed off lamely. To her surprise, Ami started laughing.

"What so funny?" Minako asked, starting to blush. Still laughing, Ami gently pushed Minako into the relative seclusion of a municipal building's doorway.

The blue-haired girl took both of Minako's hands in hers, giving her a loving smile that threatened to break into giggles. "Mina-chan...are you jealous of Mamoru?"

"I am not jealous!" Minako protested loudly, her face turning beet red. Ami started laughing again and Minako turned her head, a mortified expression on her face. Ami quickly bit her lip to get herself under control and gently turned Minako's head back to face hers.

"I'm sorry Mina-chan...but I just can't believe that you think..." She began to crack up again. "Mamoru and I..." She quickly buried her face in Minako's shoulder and the blonde girl could feel her shaking with mirth. Unable to help herself, Minako grinned and began to laugh as well.

"Well..." She said, a heavy blush still on her cheeks. "I know that you'd never do anything..."

"I hope not!" Ami said, lifting her face, grinning. "Mina-chan...I love you." She leaned forward and gave her a soft, sweet kiss. "You're the only one I'm interested in. You know that, right?"

"I do..." Minako said, a silly smile on her face. "I guess I'm just a little selfish...I want you all to myself."

"That's really sweet." Ami said, beginning to blush herself. "Nobody's ever been jealous for me before." She giggled. "I feel so wanted."

"You are, Ami." Minako said, returning Ami's kiss. Ami smiled shyly and squeezed Minako's hands. "So...where do you want to go?" Minako asked.

"Let's go to my place." Ami suggested. "My Mom's at work until late tonight, so we should have lots of time alone." This last was said a bit tentatively, and Minako sighed, though there was a resigned smile on her face.

"You really want to tell her about us, don't you?"

Ami nodded. "I really do...and I really think she'll be happy for us..." She sighed and ran her fingertips across her forehead wearily. "Of course, first I have to sort out everything else with her..."

Minako's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, that's right! What happened with all that last night? I can't believe I forgot to ask."

"It didn't turn out too badly...I didn't actually tell her, and she didn't come right out and say she knew. But she knows, Mina-chan...if she doesn't know I'm a Sailor Senshi, she knows something like it is going on." She gave Minako a sad smile. "And I sort of wanted you and I to be the current big revelation..."

"Well...maybe it's not a bad idea to wait a little while." Minako offered. "Until the heat dies down a little. Besides...I'm not sure I'm ready yet." Ami gave her a sharp look, and Minako lifted her hands in a gesture of peace. "I know how often I've said it, but this time I mean it...I'm really trying. I understand how important this is to you, now."

Ami sighed and nodded, her smile warming up a bit. "As long as you're trying, I can wait, Mina-chan." Her smile slid away, and she ran her fingers through her hair again, a sure sign of frustration. "And like I said, it doesn't matter anyway...I still feel backed into a corner on this."

"Hey, it'll be fine." Minako said with quiet confidence. "We'll think of something...I promise."

Ami nodded. "I hope so..." She looked up at the blue sky above and took a deep breath that seemed to relax her somewhat. "Well...shall we go home?"

"Sure." Minako smiled and nodded. They began walking again, when Minako paused for a moment. "Did you do much studying last night?"

"Um...some...and a little this morning." Ami admitted, a blush on her cheeks. Minako peered at her suspiciously.

"You've been studying all day, haven't you?" She accused. "In fact, you've been studying since you left my place last night!" She moaned sadly and threw her arms around Ami's shoulders, shaking her head. "Poor, poor Ami! How could I do such a thing to you?" Ami closed her eyes with a slightly embarrassed smile as she patted Minako's arms.

"I don't mind studying, Mina-chan...really." She looked down and found Minako looking up at her with sparkling eyes.

"Well, now I'm sure that you've studied enough for the time being." She murmured in a breathy voice that made Ami's knees weak. "So, do you think we can find something else to do until the meeting later?"

Ami blushed deeply. "I...guess so." She whispered.

"Good!" Minako grinned and grabbed Ami by the wrist, leading her in a very brisk walk back to her apartment.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: You know, sometimes I wonder if I should make this story a little more angsty...but I just like Minako and Ami too much to make them suffer for long! What do you think?

Sailormoon and all associated characters belong to their respective owners. All original characters belong to me, so leave them alone!


	30. Chapter 30

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 30

Minako knelt by Ami's bed, resting her head in her folded arms on the mattress, watching Ami sleep with a gentle smile on her face. While they had spent some very enjoyable time lost in each other's arms after arriving at Ami's home, the blue haired girl found it difficult to pursue that distraction for long. She was still worried about her mother, and rather tired from her studying bender the night before.

So they rested together in Ami's bed for some time, and when Minako left for the bathroom, she had returned to find Ami asleep, snuggled into the blankets her girlfriend had just occupied. Ami's sleeping face seemed a bit worried, and Minako thought that she must have trouble escaping her problems in her dreams as well. But when Minako couldn't help herself anymore and reached out to gently stroke the sleeping girl's cheek, she stirred, turning her face into Minako's palm and smiled, though she didn't wake.

When Ami continued to smile after Minako removed her hand, the blonde girl got up and walked out of Ami's room, wandering silently through the living room and thinking. A picture on an end table caught her eye and she picked it up. It was a photograph of Ami and her mother, taken not too long ago. Dr. Mizuno stood behind her daughter, her arms draped over Ami's shoulders. Both seemed so genuinely happy...it sent a jumble of emotions though Minako's heart.

She was a bit jealous, she had to admit, but at the same time she was happy for Ami's relationship with her mom. That brought up the usual melancholy about Minako's relationship with her mother, along with the anger and guilt left over from their last big fight, which had been the last time they'd said two words to each other.

Then Minako thought of the painting of the snowcapped mountain that was hanging on Ami's bedroom wall. Painted by her father. Ami never talked about her divorced father much, but Minako got the feeling that far more warmth existed there than between herself and her father, who was still nominally married to her mother.

The man was always away, in England or elsewhere, on business. He was at home as little as possible, and Minako frequently suspected that he had at least one mistress abroad. Knowing her mother, Minako couldn't really blame him...but she was always a little surprised that he managed to remember her name.

Minako set the picture down and returned to Ami's room, leaning against the doorframe as she watched her love sleep. -Feeling guilty?- The little thought trickled through her head and almost went unnoticed before Minako recognized it and stood up straight, looking all around the room.

-Who are you?- She called out in her mind, peeking out the door and looking around carefully. Of course, there was nothing out there and she felt a bit silly for the attempt. When that tiny mental voice made no reply, she sighed and decided to answer the question. -Yeah, I guess I am.-

-Why? Ami's worried about her mom discovering she's a Sailor Senshi...she's really too preoccupied to think about telling her about the two of you. It seems like it's out of your hands for now.-

-That's the problem.- Minako sighed again. -She's being silly, and I know it. If she wants to tell her mother about all of this, it shouldn't really matter in what order she finds out. But you know how Ami can get when she has a plan that isn't working out. Well, it seems like you'd know, anyway.- She finished on an accusing note, hoping to get some sort of response from this inner voice that sounded so like her.

But whoever it was refused to take the bait. -So, what are you going to do?- Was all it asked.

-I don't know...-

-You're still afraid to admit that you love her.-

-That's ridiculous.-

-Have you told her that you love her yet?-

-Well...no.-

-You still think love is a weakness. Your parents, and then Alan and Katarina, have made you believe that loving someone will cause them to hurt you, intentionally or not. You're still afraid to love. And with how strongly you feel for Ami, you're very scared indeed.-

-What are you?- Minako demanded. -How do you know all this? How are you doing this?- But the voice was gone, and again the blonde Senshi was forced to wonder if she wasn't just talking to herself a little too much.

At that moment, Ami began to stir, and Minako quickly slipped into bed next to her, sliding her arms around her waist just as she opened her eyes. Ami smiled as she felt Minako land next to her. "You shouldn't have let me sleep." She murmured.

"But you're just so cute when you're asleep." Minako whispered with a grin. Ami blushed sleepily.

"What time is it?" When Minako told her, her eyes opened fully and she started to climb over the other girl to get out of bed. "We're going to be late for the meeting!" She exclaimed, then gave a little yelp as Minako pulled her back down, laughing.

"Don't worry so much." She chided, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Remember...Usagi and her gang is out with Michiru and hers. Even if we take our time, I doubt we're going to be any later than they are."

-------------------

That group was currently making their way through the park from the skating rink to Haruka and Mamoru's cars, and an interesting chain reaction was taking place. First Haruka, a slight, mischievous smile on her face, leaned down and whispered something to Usagi that made her eyes widen and her cheeks turn crimson. Not to be outdone, Michiru placed a hand on Mamoru's arm and asked him a question in a flirtatious tone that made him cough uncomfortably.

In response, Usagi immediately seized Mamoru's other arm possessively and yanked him close, still blushing. That, of course, caused Chibi-Usa to take hold of his other arm and attempt to pull him away from Usagi. This tug-of-war continued for several seconds before Hotaru gently placed her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders. Chibi-Usa immediately blushed and let go of her future father's arm. "Sorry Hotaru." She said softly.

Hotaru smiled. "It's okay." The two young girls shared a quick embrace and began walking again, hand in hand. Everyone else smiled at how cute the two of them looked, and when they resumed walking again Haruka carried herself with a posture that suggested she wanted everyone to believe she had planned the entire thing. Michiru simply smiled knowingly at her lover and slid her arm into hers.

"Was that some kind of game humans like to play?" Diana asked Luna.

"Sort of." Artemis supplied. "But it's sort of hard to follow unless you know who playing."

Diana tilted her head curiously and looked up at the paired-off humans. "It looked like they were all playing."

"There's a difference between playing and being played with, dear." Luna said. Ahead of them Mamoru rubbed the back of his head in sudden embarrassment.

"So who won?"

"Under the circumstances, I'd say Hotaru." Luna replied, and the young girl suddenly blushed as she walked beside the cats. Chibi-Usa smiled and gave Hotaru another hug.

"What's going on over there?" Usagi suddenly said, pleasantly oblivious and using her free arm to point. Ahead of them on the paved walkway there was a knot of people gathered. Their posture suggested that they were looking at something on the ground. As the group approached, they could hear them discussing whatever it was.

"Is it oil?"

"I don't think so...why would oil be piped through the park?"

"It stinks...maybe it's..."

"No, it doesn't smell like sewage. Phew...it does stink though." And as the Sailor Senshi approached, they were all forced to agree, holding their noses as they crept closer to the source of the odor. It wasn't sewage, but it was an intense stench nonetheless, the smell of a swamp, of stagnant water and rotting plants.

Finally, Mamoru and Haruka, the tallest of the group, were able to shoulder forward enough to see what it was. A thick, black liquid, almost like tar, was bubbling up from the cracks in the sidewalk. It had formed a slick over the concrete and frozen ground almost five feet wide already, and still seemed to be growing.

Then, as they watched, the center of the puddle began to rise up on it's own. When it had lifted about two feet high, it was obvious that it was forming itself into a roughly humanoid shape. The crowd began to back up slowly, and then a voice came from what looked like the head. It was a wet, thick gurgle that sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a well, and all it said was, "I smell blood."

That was enough for Haruka and Mamoru, and for the rest of the crowd as well, who turned and ran immediately. The two looked at each other and nodded, turning and hurrying everyone off the path and into the trees.

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked in a confused voice as she was nearly pushed into the trees. "What's going on?"

"It's a daeva." He replied, glancing back over his shoulder. There was no sign of it through the fleeing crowd, but the stench in the air was thicker than ever.

"You two get Diana out of here and call the others." Haruka said, glancing down at Luna and Artemis. The cats nodded and hurried off through the trees. The gathered Senshi all looked at each other and nodded.

"MOON COSMIC POWER!"

"MOON PRISM POWER!"

"SATURN PLANET POWER!"

"URANUS PLANET POWER!"

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!"

"MAKE-UP!"

Transformed, the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen all leapt out of the woods. Everyone had left by now, and the daeva had pulled itself up completely. It was humanoid, looking like a person covered in thick, clotted mud. It had no visible facial features, and pulled itself along as if its feet were sticking to the ground.

"Hey, daeva!" Sailor Moon called out, and it seemed like the creature turned to look at her. With no discernable feature, however, it was hard to tell. "You think you can come here and terrify innocent people? Whatever you're here for, we're going to stop you. I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

For a moment, it seemed like the daeva wouldn't react at all. Then, on the rough shape of its head, features finally appeared. There were two perfectly round, white eyes with tiny black pupils. And below that, teeth. No lips before them or mouth behind, just white, flat teeth. "Sailor Senshi..." It gurgled, its teeth moving up and down as it spoke. "How fortunate that I find you already."

"Who are you?" Haruka asked, stepping forward threateningly.

The thing made a wet, cracking sound and it took the Senshi a moment to realize that it was laughing. "My name is meaningless. Among my people, I am known as a Gu'tvak. And I am here for you, Sailor Senshi." Without warning it stuck, its body elongating into a snakelike form that whipped out towards Uranus with a screeching hiss. Uranus threw herself to the ground heavily, revealing Neptune standing just behind her.

"DEEP SUBMERGE!" The Gu'tvak immediately reared backwards and twisted, narrowly avoiding the attack. A hail of roses flew out of the branches above the creature and struck in a line down the thing's length as it reformed back into its previous shape. But the projectiles went right through the Gu'tvak, hitting the ground covered in black goo.

"Useless." It gurgled, and threw itself against the tree Tuxedo Kamen stood in. In seconds it had covered the entire tree like a second skin, its bizarre face appearing halfway up the trunk. The tree's branches grabbed for Tuxedo Kamen before he could leap away, holding him fast.

"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" The gleaming energy blade sped out and cut Tuxedo Kamen free, allowing him to leap nimbly to the ground. "Now, Sailor Moon!" Uranus called over her shoulder.

"Right! MOON SPIRAL..." But before Sailor Moon could finish her attack, the black thing had left the tree, flying up into the air in a thin, amorphous sheet. Seeing a chance, Sailor Saturn leapt into the air, her Silence Glaive sweeping through the Gu'tvak. But the blade had no more effect than the roses had, save perhaps an increase in the fetid stench. Laughing again, the creature drifted away over the trees.

"We have to catch that thing!" Sailor Moon shouted, running after it.

"It's headed for the street!" Neptune called out as the rest began to follow. Sailor Moon sprinted through the trees, her eyes on the ominous black shape of the Gu'tvak through the leafless branches. As such, she was completely unaware of the rather large elm that seemed to jump out right in front of her.

"Ouch! Ow ow ow ow ow!" Sailor Moon landed heavily on her back, clutching her face. Tuxedo Kamen stopped to help her up and another shape blurred right past them. It was Sailor Uranus, putting all her energy in her dash to head the strange daeva off before it could hurt someone. The rest of the group fought just to keep her in sight.

Meanwhile, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus were crossing the street towards the brick wall that surrounded the park. Artemis was running ahead of them, the white cat having split off from the other two cats to collect Mercury and Venus, who had been closer than anyone else.

"Mercury!" Just as Venus hit the sidewalk she stopped and pointed up. The Gu'tvak was swiftly drifting down towards them. "What is that thing?"

Mercury had her computer on in an instant. "I think it's the daeva." She said tersely.

"Good enough for me!" Venus said with a brash smile. "CRESCENT BEAM!" The golden beam sped out, but before it could hit the Gu'tvak it pulled itself into a ball, plummeting to the pavement behind them with a loud, wet smack that filled the air with its stink. It sat in the street in an unmoving pool, and Mercury and Venus cautiously crept forward to investigate.

"Get away from it!" Uranus shouted, leaping over the high brick wall. Venus whipped her head around to look at the exact moment the Gu'tvak stirred, twisting out of its puddle form into a shape like some gargantuan, wide-mouthed eel that sped right for her.

"No!" Uranus shouted, smashing Venus out of the way with her shoulder as she landed. The save cost her, however, as the Gu'tvak enveloped her instead. With a triumphant shriek the long black shape turned and, quick as thought, smashed through a manhole cover and vanished into the sewers.

"Haruka, NO!" The anguished wail made Mercury and Venus turn back to the wall, where Neptune had arrived just in time to see the whole thing, a disbelieving, horrified expression on her face.

-------------------

An hour later, the light began to fail and the Sailor Senshi began to gather at Rei's shrine. They had split into three groups to search the sewers, and were all rather the worse for wear. Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon and Saturn were the first to arrive, followed by Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. Quite a bit later, Pluto and Rei arrived, practically holding Neptune up between them. They were all tired and filthy, and didn't even bother transforming back.

"She's exhausted." Pluto explained. "She must have covered twice as much ground as we did." They carefully sat Neptune on the steps. She was conscious, but her eyes showed that she was a very distant and extremely unpleasant place.

"You didn't find anything?" Sailor Moon asked Mercury, who sadly shook her head.

"I couldn't pick it up again on my computer anywhere. It's probably in Tachyon's lair, wherever that is." She nearly wiped her eyes with her hand, but seeing the condition of her gloves, reconsidered.

"I want to go back." Neptune said in a soft, neutral tone.

"Neptune..." Sailor Moon said softly, her own face a mask of worry and sadness that was mirrored on everyone else.

"We can't do anything more down there." Pluto said in a gentle tone. "We should get cleaned up and rest, and try to think of something else..."

"There's no time!" Neptune said in a harsh, shaking voice. "Tachyon probably sent that thing, and who knows what she's doing to Haruka?" Biting her lip to hold back her tears, Neptune hugged herself tightly, her shoulders jerking with repressed sobs.

Rei stood back from the group a short distance, watching. Her hands curled into tightly clenched fists and when Neptune finally broke down and began to cry, she turned her face away, her eyes closing to hide her own tears that were threatening to well up. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as she walked over and sat next to Neptune, placing a hand on the aqua-haired Senshi's shoulder.

"Go on home..." She turned and looked at all the others. "All of you. Go home, clean up and rest for a bit. Then come back here. I have an idea."

"Rei-chan?" Neptune asked, her crying fading as she turned to look at the dark-haired miko.

Rei gave her a small smile. "Trust me." Rei stood and headed into her room. She could hear the Sailor Senshi leaving, muttering questions among themselves.

"Rei-chan?" Rei turned. It was Jupiter. "What are you going to do, Rei-chan?"

"Something." Rei said with quiet confidence. "Just like you told me to."

Jupiter blinked in surprise, then smiled herself, and nodded. "Just be careful." She said, leaving Rei to her darkened room. Rei took another deep breath, then stopped with a cough. With the smell of the sewers surrounding her, she realized she should take as few deep breaths as possible until she was in the shower. She smiled again. Suddenly, she felt more purposeful and at peace with herself than she had in many days. For the first time since Tachyon had wounded her, she knew precisely who she was and what she had to do. Now, it was just a matter of doing it.

Rei took a very long shower, both to remove all trace of the sewer and to clear her mind. She would need all her concentration for what was to come. Once she was out and her hair was more or less dry, she put on her white kimono and red hakama, and headed into the shrine. After feeding the flame a bit, she knelt down in front of it and began to chant.

This idea had been percolating in Rei's head ever since Makoto had put her in her place. She couldn't become a Sailor Senshi thanks to Tachyon, it was true. But she was still a priestess, and that gave her abilities she doubted the little psycho was prepared to deal with.

As she chanted, the room around her began to fade from her senses. Soon, she was all alone; the only things she was aware of were the fire and the soft sound of her own voice. She had driven herself to exhaustion like this once before, but then she had been trying to scry the future, which Tachyon had specialized in hiding from her and Setsuna's view. And seeing the future like this was always chancy, at best.

But now, she was trying to find something that had been lost, and that was something Rei had always had a talent for. The fact that this 'thing' was the beloved of the woman she loved made no difference. Haruka was lost, and Rei would find her.

With Rei's intense level of concentration, she didn't realize she was being watched by a figure crouched just outside the door to the shrine. This figure peered carefully through the crack between the sliding doors, watching silently. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and nearly jumped a foot in the air in shock.

"Mako-chan." Michiru said softly, offering the smallest of smiles in greeting. Makoto caught her breath and nodded. "What are you doing here?" The older girl whispered.

"I wanted to make sure she wasn't doing anything dangerous." Makoto replied, just as softly.

"I did too...as worried as I am for Haruka, I didn't want Rei to be on my conscience again." Michiru said, looking into the shrine over Makoto's head. Makoto glanced up at her, the corner of her mouth quirked upwards.

"It wasn't your fault." She offered softly.

Michiru glanced down and smiled a bit. "Thank you, Mako-chan." They watched in silence for a long moment. "What do you think she's doing?"

"Looking for Haruka."

"Do you think it will work?"

"I think she's not moving until it does."

Rei had sunk into a kind of subspace. Even the sound of her own chanting had faded away, and there was only the fire before her. -Haruka, where are you...- Without warning, the image of Tachyon's laughing face appeared before Rei's eyes. -There!- Before, when she had been trying to find a vision of the future, she had seen that face when Tachyon had blocked her. Then, she had been unable to fight back against it, that block too firm a seal on visions of time.

But now Rei wasn't trying to see through time. And now that wall that the child had put up had a substance that Rei could push back against. Rather than let that image slip away, Rei grabbed hold of it and tried to force her way through it. The fire suddenly sprang up twice as high, but Rei couldn't feel it as she bent the full force of her formidable will against Tachyon's shield.

Now the fire was all around her, licking hungrily at her clothes. Her hair flew up in the hot wind of the flames, and still she fought. The heat was rising up to choke her, but she knew that it couldn't harm her unless she let her concentration wane. Then, just as she had reached the last of her strength, Tachyon's grinning face shattered like a mirror, and Rei's awareness was sent hurtling outwards. For an instant, she could see all of Tokyo spread out before her, glittering with lights in the night air.

Then she was falling, falling...there was an mansion, an old, western style mansion, just outside of the city. And there, in a bedroom on the top floor...there she was! Feeling her will fading utterly, Rei quickly flew back to her own body, feeling the return of gravity with a suddenness that made her head spin.

Michiru and Makoto had been watching her this whole time, and now they rushed in, catching Rei just before she pitched forward face-first into the flame. They laid her back against the floor, carefully. There was blood trickling down from her nostrils, and her eyelids fluttered.

"Rei-chan? Rei-chan!" Makoto shook her shoulder firmly, and Rei's eyes cracked open.

"Mako-chan?" She murmured. "I did it!" There was triumph in that whisper, and her eyes drifted over to Michiru. "I found her Michiru-chan...I know where she is...and she's alright."

Michiru smiled, tears running down her cheeks as she nodded. "Thank you Rei-chan...thank you!"

"We can go...when the others get here." Rei said, trying to push her way up.

Makoto stopped her. "You should rest...it looks like that took a lot out of you." She said gently, but firmly.

"No...I need to go, to make sure Haruka gets out safely." Rei said, too tired to do anything but protest weakly. Michiru suddenly looked down at her, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Mako-chan...I'm sorry, but would you let me talk to her for a moment?" She asked, and Makoto paused for a moment, then nodded and left without another word, her face devoid of expression. Michiru helped Rei up into a sitting position and neither said anything for a long moment.

"Rei-chan...I think I owe you another apology." The aqua-haired woman finally said. Rei blinked in surprise and looked over at her.

"For what?"

"For underestimating your feelings. This whole time, I've been passing this off as nothing more than a crush, but it is more than that, isn't it?"

Rei, who had been cleaning herself up with a handkerchief, froze. "I...I don't..." She stopped and closed her eyes. "So you know."

"I've known for awhile, Rei-chan."

"I guess I sort of realized that." Rei said, standing up and walking a short distant away. "If you knew, why didn't you say something before this?" She demanded, turning back sharply.

"That's why I'm apologizing, Rei-chan." Michiru said softly, and Rei blushed and nodded. To be honest, I thought it was just a crush. An angry flush appeared on Rei's cheeks and Michiru held a hand up to fend off Rei's retort. "Please let me finish. You have to understand, I had no way of knowing the depth of your feelings. And if it had been just a crush, telling you that I know would have just embarrassed you. And so I decided the best course of action was to let things run their course. All crushes fade away, given time."

Michiru got up then and walked over to where Rei stood, and placed her hands on the raven-haired miko's shoulders. Rei looked up, her cheeks pink again, but not with anger. "I was wrong, very wrong." Michiru gave her a small, sad smile. "I saw it in your eyes, Rei-chan. What you've done here, you've done for me."

Rei lowered her eyes, and Michiru smiled. "Why, Rei-chan?" She asked in a voice of soft encouragement.

"I...I just want you to be happy." Rei whispered. "And I know...Haruka can make you happier than I ever could." Michiru saw a single tear trickle down Rei's cheek and fall to the wooden floor. "I love you Michiru-chan." Her voice began to shake. "But it's not just that...that's not the only reason I did this..."

"Shhh, I know, I know. You would have done all you could to help, even if you didn't feel this way. But there's nothing selfish about doing something good for the sake of love. And sometimes love can drive us to do things that we normally couldn't. And I'm very grateful for that, Rei-chan."

"I never had a chance from the beginning, did I?" Rei asked in a dull voice, staring at the ground. Michiru's expression was deeply sympathetic as she took her hands from Rei's shoulder and looked at her closely.

"Because I think you need to hear it, I'll say it." Michiru finally said. "No, Rei-chan. You didn't. But..." Michiru slipped her hand beneath Rei's chin and lifted her eyes to meet hers. "I care for you, very much. Even among the Sailor Senshi, you're one of the people who are most precious to me. I know it's a poor substitute for what your heart longs for, but I want you to know how important you are to me."

"I know, Michiru-chan..." Rei sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. "I know."

"It hurts, I know..." Michiru started, reaching out to Rei, but Rei gently deflected her hand.

"No...please stop. I couldn't take it right now, and you don't have time. You have to go rescue the one you love, right?" Rei's voice gained in strength and she looked back at the fire. And at that moment, Makoto knocked softly on the door.

"Rei-chan, Michiru-chan...everyone's here."

Michiru smiled. "Well, are you ready to go?" Rei looked up in surprise, and Michiru nodded. "I don't have the right to tell you to stay behind if you're willing to come, Rei-chan. You're capable of taking care of yourself, and of looking out for the rest of us. Just as we'll be looking out for you. That's part of being a Sailor Senshi."

A small, determined smile appeared over Rei's lips, and she nodded a bit. A very short time later, the doors to the shrine opened, and Michiru and Rei stepped out. The rest of the Sailor Senshi and Mamoru stood expectantly in the courtyard, and Rei looked over them all carefully. She took a deep breath. "I know where Haruka is." She said. "And tonight we're going to get her back."

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If one was to look back at Chapter 29, you might notice that the little teaser at the end is gone now. That applied to the earlier version of this chapter which I realized absolutely sucked after I'd written about half of it. I like this new version much, much better. I'm hoping you like it too!

SPECIAL NOTE: Alright everyone, because I love you people I'm going to spend some time this afternoon to fix the formatting errors with the overlapping paragraphs. You see, the chapters are actually in a plain text format tailored for but there's always been some kind of weirdness going on with the line breaks when I bring them here. But no more! I'm going to figure out a solution and apply it to all chapters.

I don't own Sailormoon or any of the characters thereof. I do own the original characters, though, so keep your hands off them!


	31. Chapter 31

Power Transcendent 

Sailormoon fanfiction by Jessica

-  
Chapter 31

Sailor Uranus woke up with a start in an unfamiliar bed. She sat up, trying to get a feel for the darkened room. The last thing she remembered was the thick, hot stench and utter darkness after being swallowed by the daeva. She looked down at herself. She'd been cleaned up and...she lifted her gloved wrist to her nose and sniffed, making a face. A little too floral for her tastes...

A girlish giggle made her head snap up. The lights in the room slowly came on, and she could get a feel for her surroundings. The bed she was on was huge and soft, and topped with a canopy of gauzy pink curtains. Behind them, she could see a room that was sparsely appointed in pink and white. But before she had a chance to take in the decor, her eyes were drawn to the doorway, and the small figure that stood there. A yawning pit of despair opened in the blonde Senshi's stomach.

"Hi there sleepyhead." Tachyon said with another giggle, clapping her hands together happily. "I was starting to worry that the Gu'tvak had hurt you, but I guess you're okay. Did you have a good sleep?"

Uranus whipped her head around. There was a window on the other side of the room. Without a second thought she sprang out of the bed, launching herself towards it. But about halfway through her leap she felt her movements slow, and then halt. Tachyon walked towards her suspended body and moved her as if she were weightless, pushing her back onto the bed before returning Uranus' flow of time back to normal.

"Naughty naughty!" The small girl chided Uranus, wagging a finger at her. Uranus just glared up at her. "Oh, is my new toy all cranky?"

"I'm not your toy." Uranus snapped, and Tachyon just shook her head, still smiling.

"Oh yes you are! After all the trouble I went to getting you, you're all mine now." She tapped her finger against her cheek. "I really wanted Sailor Venus...she's the prettiest, you know. But like I told you before, I like playing with blonde girls. So I told the Gu'tvak that if it could get one of the three of you to do it and get back as soon as possible."

The child's voice dropped to a conspiring whisper. "I'm not really supposed to have it, you know. They're supposed to be too dangerous to deal with...on their own world they're considered terrible criminals and killed on sight. As time goes on, their sense of self degrades more and more until there's nothing left but a monster." Tachyon giggled gleefully. "Won't that be fun?" She gushed.

Uranus placed her arms behind her head, lounging across the bed casually. "Listen kid, I don't really have time to listen to this. So just do what you have to do and get it over with. I'm not going to play with you."

"Oh yes, you will." Tachyon's tone was still light and piping, but it carried an undertone of pure venom now. Uranus felt her body held in stasis once again, and then Tachyon was sitting on her stomach, twirling her small blade between her fingers. The glitter as it caught the room's light seemed wrong to Uranus somehow, making her nauseous as she watched it.

"You're going to play with me, Sailor Uranus." Tachyon said, looking down at her with a feral grin. "You'll do it because you still think your friends can save you. But they can't. So we're going to play, and the games will just get better and better until you're all used up..."

Setting her knife aside, Tachyon placed her hands on Uranus' shoulders and leaned forward until their faces were almost touching. "And then, maybe, just maybe, I'll give what's left of you back to the Sailor Senshi." She whispered, her voice trembling with glee. "And I'll do it again and again, to all of the others, until only Sailor Pluto is left. I can't wait to see her face when she sees what I've done to you."

Uranus longed to be able to avoid Tachyon's violet eyes. They were like glass, harsh and bright. And behind them...behind them was a roiling mass of hatred and insanity that Uranus had never seen before. Despite her anger, she found herself afraid. And when the little girl slipped away from her, allowing her to move again, it took all of Uranus' willpower to hold back a sigh of relief.

Tachyon was looking at her expectantly, but Uranus was determined to give the little monster as little satisfaction as she could. So she took a moment to suppress her fear and then sat up, looking her dead in the eyes once again. "Sailor Venus was right." She said calmly. "You're too afraid to fight Pluto. You can do whatever you want to the rest of us...it won't change the fact that sooner or later she's going to take you down."

The innocent smile vanished from Tachyon's face and was replaced by feral grimace of rage and bloodlust. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the handle of her dagger and as she took a couple of steps forward, Uranus worried that she had pushed things too far. Then the mask appeared again, and Tachyon giggled merrily, slashing her blade through the air. "Silly Sailor Uranus." She chirped. Her eyes darkened as she looked back at the tall Senshi, licking her lips. "Now let's play."

-------------------

Meanwhile, behind a series of leafless hedges within the mansion's gates, the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen silently observed the large structure. The only two not in attendance were Saturn and Chibi-Moon. Surprisingly, Hotaru had volunteered to stay behind herself. "The most important thing is saving Haruka-papa." She had said firmly. "If go, Muon might try to get me again, and that will make everything that much worse. I won't put Haruka-papa in any more danger."

This was a dual blessing, as nobody had felt comfortable about taking their Senshi-in-training into Tachyon's lair. With Hotaru staying behind, however, it had been relatively easy to convince Chibi-Usa to stay behind as well. The two of them had been left at Usagi's house, ostensibly for another sleepover.

"There are lights on inside." Sailor Moon pointed out in a whisper. "But I don't see any cars or anything."

"And I definitely sense something wrong here." Pluto said. "It's faint, but it's there."

"Then this is the place." Rei said in satisfaction, still wearing her priestess' garb. "I knew it."

"This smells like another trap." Jupiter murmured, peering up at the mansion. "Getting this close shouldn't have been this easy." She glanced over at where Sailor Mercury crouched, her fingers working furiously as her computer's visor displayed a quick succession of data. Venus and Neptune both crouched behind her, watching silently.

Neptune had said almost nothing since they had headed out, but her fear and strain was clear to see if you caught her eyes. Jupiter suspected that she had remained quiet to prevent her emotions from getting the best of her and driving herself and the others into a bad situation. Only able to imagine how the Senshi of the Sea must be feeling, Jupiter respected her for that.

Jupiter smiled a bit. She found herself warming to Neptune once again. Honestly, she had never completely forgiven her after Rei had been wounded. But after their short conversation at the shrine's door, and Rei's overall demeanor after they had had their private talk...Jupiter didn't know precisely what they had talked about, but she had a fairly good guess. The fact that, despite everything else, Neptune had taken the time to address Rei's feelings for her, and apparently let her down so gently, had gone a long way towards redeeming herself in Jupiter's protective eyes.

With a small nod to herself, Mercury closed her computer with a snap, and her visor vanished. "If I didn't know to look for it, I wouldn't have found it." She said softly, looking back at the others. "But there's a ring around the mansion, about fifty feet in radius. It's a very slight temporal disturbance."

"What does it do?" Neptune asked, and Mercury was forced to give a small shrug. "It's too faint...I have no way of knowing."

"I'll go find out." Sailor Moon said, standing.

"Sailor Moon, you can't..." Tuxedo Kamen protested, placing a hand on her shoulder. The pigtailed girl placed her hand over her love's and smiled back at him.

"Somebody has to." She said. "We have to save Haruka. And the Ginzuishou protected me before...maybe it will again!"

"I'll go too." Venus said, standing next to her princess. "I think I'll be alright as well. And I owe Uranus...if she hadn't pushed me away, I'd be the one captured instead of her."

"Maybe I should go." Mercury ventured, looking worriedly at Venus. "I'll be able to analyze whatever happens..."

"No." Venus said gently, placing her hand on Mercury's cheek. "Sailor Moon and I have the best chance of coming back...we're the only once who should risk it. If anything happens, we'll need all your help." She smiled. "Okay?" Mercury gave a small, worried smile in return and nodded reluctantly.

"Both of you be careful." Neptune told them, watching them with sad eyes. "Just see what happens and come right back...I don't want to lose anyone else."

"You haven't lost anyone." Sailor Moon told her with a sympathetic yet confident smile. "We'll get Haruka back...I promise." Sailor Moon and Venus looked at each other and nodded. The whole group crept towards the point that Ami said was the edge of the disturbance. For safety's sake, each of the blonde Senshi took hold of the other's wrist and held it in a firm grip. Taking a deep breath, they stepped across the invisible border together.

For a moment, there seemed to be no reaction, and the two Senshi smiled at each other in relief. Then a tsunami of chaos washed over them, sending them to their knees. There was no sound, no visible effect, but each of them could feel the wildly storming energy swirling around them, draining their own power with frightening speed.

There was a sudden yank on both their collars, and they were roughly heaved back to the other side of the disturbance. Looking up, they saw their respective loves looking down at them with frightened expressions. "Okay, I guess we weren't protected." Venus said with a tired smirk.

"It looked like you were about to transform back to normal." Mercury said, her brow still furrowed. "What happened?" Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus quickly related what they had felt once they had crossed over. Once they had finished, Pluto stood at the very edge of the ring, watching the lit mansion with distant eyes.

"I think I might understand." She said, turning back to the others. "We know what kind of effect Tachyon has when she's around. So if she's actually been living here, the effect is probably infinitely worse. That was probably what you two felt."

"So how is she shielding that kind of a disturbance?" Neptune asked.

"There's a mirror in place." Pluto said. The rest of the group looked confused, but Mercury's eyes lit up.

"Of course! An energy field that copies all of the energy waves coming out and reflects them back, canceling them out and hiding them from the outside. With how random and chaotic Tachyon's energy disturbance is, that would be the only way."

Pluto nodded. "And there's a very slight delay between the time the energy approached the mirror shield, and the time the shield reflects it. That's what causes the disturbance."

"Um...of course." Venus agreed, a somewhat blank expression on her face. "So...what do we do? We can't fight in that mess, trust me."

Neptune tapped her finger against her lip. "She must have daeva servants with her, don't you think?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "So there's probably something in place that makes the mansion itself livable, at least. So if we can get in there, we might be okay."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded. "That makes sense...but how do we get through?"

"I can take care of that." Pluto said softly. She went back to the border and planted her Garnet Rod firmly in the snowy lawn. "I think I can use my power to suppress the disturbance. But Tachyon will be able to detect that, without a doubt. She'll be waiting for you."

"Will you be able to follow?" Rei asked. Pluto nodded.

"But not right away. I can protect myself from the effects, but it will take a little while to set up. I'll come as soon as I can, but you will all have to face her on your own first." She smiled, and it seemed to be directed at Venus. "I've seen that you're capable of that. Just keep her off-balance. If you can do that, she won't be able to focus her powers on you."

"Alright." Neptune nodded and walked over to stand next to Pluto. "I'm ready."

"Be careful." Pluto admonished her, so quietly that only she could hear. "Don't take unnecessary risks."

"I won't...but I'm not leaving that place without Haruka." Neptune replied just as quietly. "So...if..."

"Don't...I'll take care of Hotaru, no matter what." Pluto said sharply. "But listen to Sailor Moon...you two are both coming out of there." Michiru just nodded. The rest of the Sailor Senshi had lined up at the border by now, and looked ready for a sprint. "I'm starting now." Pluto said, raising her voice so they could all hear. She lifted her talisman up, and the Garnet Orb flashed brilliantly in the night. She drove it into the earth once again, and a garnet haze seemed to fill the air momentarily and then faded away. "Now, go!" Pluto said sharply, and they were off.

-------------------

Inside the mansion, Tachyon's head snapped up, her eyes unfocused. "They're here..." She hissed in a voice full of poison.

"I told you they'd come." Uranus said, a smirk in her voice.

Tachyon glared back at her, then turned her head towards the door. "Gu'tvak!" The formless black creature flowed out from the bottom of the door and shaped itself against it, it's horrific 'face' appearing in the middle of it.

"What is your command, Lady Tachyon?" It gurgled.

"The Sailor Senshi are here." Tachyon smiled. "If they get to the stairs, I want you to play with them. But leave a few alive, if you can. I'll need a new toy before long." Without another word, the Gu'tvak was gone again, and Tachyon turned back, looking across the table at her plaything. "Now...where were we?"

-------------------

Running across the lawn, Venus immediately noticed that the effects of Tachyon's presence had indeed been suppressed. The angry howling had faded to an irritating whine in the ears, and there was none of the energy drain that they had felt before. As they ran, Jupiter and Venus lifted their arms towards the rapidly approaching double doors that were the entrance to the mansion.

"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

The attacks met in the air and combined, blasting the heavy oak doors to splinters and allowing the Senshi to get inside without slowing down. They ran through the gaping doorway into the brightly lit entrance hall. A knot of five Daeva were waiting for them. They all looked more or less human...blue skin, horns and other relatively minor differences marked them as otherwise. None looked particularly pleased to be fighting the Sailor Senshi, but it was easy to imagine that they were more frightened of Tachyon.

"They don't look so tough." Jupiter grinned. "Let's go! JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!" Two of the daeva were hit by the attack and went flying back into the wide carpeted staircase. The remaining three leapt into the attack. It was clear that the Sailor Senshi had the advantage. One of the three was immediately taken out by an attack from Sailor Moon, and another landed between Mercury and Neptune, only to explode into frozen pieces a moment later when they both turned their attacks upon it.

By this time the two that had been blasted by Jupiter were pulling themselves to their feet, and they snatched fruitlessly at Tuxedo Kamen as he leapt to the top of the stairs, flinging down a lethal hail of roses as he went. When he landed at the top of the stairs he continued his assault, wounding and distracting all the daeva alone. He failed to notice the black pool slipping around his feet.

"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!" The attack smashed one of the two back against the stairs and it fell into itself and vanished a moment later. Jupiter lifted the one she had been sparring with bodily and hurled it into the other daeva at the stairs.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" She shouted.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" With a wail, the remaining two daeva were defeated.

"Alright!" Sailor Moon said, catching her breath momentarily. "Now let's get upstairs..." Warned by a sixth sense, she hopped back just a rose landed in the floor where she had stood. Black ooze dripped from the petals.

Everyone looked up the stairs. Tuxedo Kamen stood there, and his form was like a silhouette, utterly black and featureless. But where his face should have been, the wide, staring eyes and brutally flat teeth of the Gu'tvak appeared. "Farewell, Sailor Senshi." It said, and its voice was Tuxedo Kamen's, overlaid with the wet, echoing gurgle of the Gu'tvak.

"No..." Sailor Moon gasped, her eyes widening in horror as she took an involuntary step backwards. Then her eyes hardened and her fingers tightened around her scepter. "Let him go!" She shouted, dashing up the stairs. She was forced to fall to the floor, however, as the Gu'tvak flung another volley of roses at her. The black shape dashed into the upstairs hallway and was lost from sight, and all the Senshi followed.

Turning a corner, everyone stopped. Tuxedo Kamen lay on the floor, free from the Gu'tvak and seemingly unconscious. But as they watched, he pulled himself to his knees, holding his forehead. His head snapped up. "Look out!" He shouted, but too late. In a black sheet, the Gu'tvak dropped over Sailor Mercury's head and enveloped her just as it had Tuxedo Kamen.

"You're all too strong to take like this for long." It gurgled at them in Mercury's voice. "I'll have to be quick. SHABON SPRAY!" The chill mist filled the hallway, taking everyone's sight. Suddenly, Jupiter cried out, and as the mist began to lift, it was clear that she had become its next victim.

"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" The sphere of electricity flew out towards Sailor Venus, but she was ready.

"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" The gleaming chain knocked the Gu'tvak's stolen attack away, and Venus cast around desperately for Mercury. She breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of her pulling herself to her feet. Meanwhile, the Gu'tvak had begun to shake violently as Jupiter began to fight it off. Without warning it suddenly sloughed off the Senshi of Thunder, leaving her weaving and staggering to stand, and made a beeline to Sailor Moon.

"No!" Everyone shouted, but the thing was too quick, enveloping the leader of the Senshi before she could react.

"Now the most powerful Sailor Senshi is mine." Gu'tvak said, it's wet, snapping laugh filling the hallway. "MOON SPIRAL...what!" As it was getting ready to attack, a bright pink glow started to shine in the center of Sailor Moon's chest. A moment later, it burst out in a beam of radiant energy, and the Gu'tvak screamed in pain. It began to slide off, but seemed to be having trouble escaping.

"No you don't!" Jupiter snapped, stumbling forward as Sailor Moon's head and shoulders became visible. She wrapped her hands around Sailor Moon's waist and the antenna extended from her tiara.

"Hey, Jupiter, wait a sec..." Sailor Moon shouted in protest, but to no avail.

"SUPREME THUNDER!" A pillar of lightning erupted in the hallway and when it cleared, the Gu'tvak was laying at Sailor Moon's feet in a pulsating mass. Sailor Moon herself dropped to her knees, singed and smoking with a dazed expression on her face. "Oh...sorry." Jupiter said, blushing as she rubbed the back of her head.

The Gu'tvak suddenly flattened its shape and tried to escape. But Sailor Mercury was ready. "MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!" The freezing attack scooped the black pool from the floor and flung it against a wall in a frozen mass. "Now Sailor Moon!" Mercury shouted.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" The wave of pink energy hit the Gu'tvak as it was freeing itself from the ice. Its dying shriek forced everyone to their knees in pain, but when the light from the attack faded, the black abomination was gone.

Everyone stood, catching their breath. "Okay Neptune." Tuxedo Kamen said. "Now we just need to...Neptune?" He looked around, and everyone else did the same. "Where did she go?"

"Rei's gone too!" Jupiter exclaimed. At that moment, a massive explosion rocked the mansion.

-------------------

When the Gu'tvak had used Sailor Mercury to fill the hallway with icy mist, Rei had backed herself against the wall, her eyes scanning the gray void. For just a moment, she thought she saw a shape in the mist and was about to cry out. But then the wall behind her seemed to vanish and before she could do anything she was yanked backwards, everything going black.

Then Rei was in a large sitting room, stumbling across the floor with her head spinning and her stomach churning from disorientation. "It is you!" She heard Tachyon's voice exclaim, and she jerked her head up, her eyes narrowing. The little girl was sitting a short distance away, almost lost in a large, plush armchair whose arms bore numerous rips and tears. Her chin was resting in her hands and her small legs were kicking back and forth as she smiled at the miko.

"I couldn't believe it!" She continued. "I mean, I didn't think anyone would come looking for me after they managed to get away once! But when I saw you, I just knew I had to get you too."

"Me too?" Rei murmured, her eyes scanning around the room. She sucked in a deep breath as she caught sight of the couch. Sailor Neptune lay there, rigid. Her eyes were open and there was a clear mix of fear and anger in her frozen expression. Tachyon giggled, drawing Rei's eyes back to her captor.

"It's always better to play with a set." The child said gleefully. Slowly, so as not to draw attention, Rei slipped her hands into the sleeves of her kimono. "Making someone watch while I play with the one they love..." Tachyon giggled, sliding her knife into view and running her fingertips over the edge. "Their eyes...there's nothing like it in the world." Tachyon almost moaned this last statement, shivering in anticipation.

She bounced out of her chair, her eyes sparkling as she approached Rei. The dark-haired girl tensed. She had one chance...that was it. "But you...you're just a bonus." Tachyon whispered. "It was far too quick before, and I never had a chance to finish. But...we have all the time in the world, now..."

Only a few steps separated them, but Rei was afraid it was too much. The little psycho had to get closer... "Please no..." She whispered, looking as terrified as she could. Tachyon grinned wickedly and took another step forward. Rei began to shake where she stood, and it was only half-feigned.

"So...without your Senshi powers, this is all you are." Tachyon said in a soft voice. "It's going to be so much fun..." She took another step forward, and Rei made her move. Her hand whipped out of her sleeve, an ofuda held between her fingers. The tiny slip of paper flew through the air and hit Tachyon's forehead before the child could react.

"AKURYO TAISAN!" Rei shouted, and Tachyon screamed in pain, her body going rigid. Rei almost felt like she was floating as she snatched the knife out of the girl's fingers and spun around. She knew she had mere seconds to act as she sprinted towards the double doors and with all her might slammed the slim blade into the gap between them. It went in about half its length, and Rei threw herself against its hilt with all her weight and strength. It resisted her for a moment, but then the blade snapped. There was an incredible sound and a blinding white light, and Rei felt herself hurled backwards for a moment before she lost consciousness.

Neptune felt her body come free of Tachyon's control at the moment the knife shattered, and she had just enough time to curl herself into a ball before the explosion hit her, picking up the couch and flinging it into the far wall with a force that knocked the air from her lungs. After taking a moment to recover, Neptune pushed the couch off of her, looking around. The room was destroyed...the external wall and ceiling were both gone, leaving it exposed to the winter air and night sky. The doors leading into the room were nowhere to be seen, and the doorway was a jagged hole.

Panic rising in her throat, the aqua-haired warrior looked around wildly for Rei. The fiery miko was slumped not far away next to a pile of splintered wood, and Neptune felt hot tears on her cheek as she ran to check her. There was a long slice across her forearm, though it wasn't deep, and her shoulder wound seemed to have reopened, but it wasn't bleeding much. Though she didn't wake, she was breathing and her pulse seemed strong, and Neptune heaved a massive sigh of relief. "Thank you Rei-chan." She murmured, stroking her cheek.

"How dare you...how dare you." The voice was barely recognizable, and Neptune turned around, holding herself protectively in front of the unconscious Rei. Tachyon was hovering in the air, surrounded by a nimbus of swirling gray light. Her violet outfit was ripped and tattered, and her eyes were glowing fiery purple. Her face was so twisted with anger and insanity that it didn't even look vaguely human.

"No more games." She spat, and her voice was a dry, harsh croak that seemed centuries old. "I'll see you all dead and your world blown into nothingness. I will open the first Eye of Shunyata. And when I have my prize I'll tear you all into quivering fragments and feed them to you. I will...I will...I...I..." She threw her head back and shrieked. Remembering what happened the last time Tachyon lost control, Neptune spun around and began to lift Rei to get them both to safety. But even as she was turning, the shriek cut off and there was a strange ringing in the air.

Neptune turned back. Five figures, cloaked and hooded in black had appeared in the air around Tachyon and a rainbow-hued field surrounded her, seeming to hold her frozen. And, just as suddenly as they had appeared they vanished, taking the child with them. Still rather dazed from her experience, Neptune remained kneeling, Rei held limply in her arms until the rest of the Sailor Senshi burst in.

The two of them were immediately swarmed over. Jupiter, Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen gently took Rei and began to look her over for damage and try to wake her up. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus helped the Senshi of the Sea to stand. "What happened?" Venus asked. Neptune just shook her head. There was too much, and she was still too rattled.

But then a thought hit Neptune like a thunderbolt, almost knocking her down. "Haruka..." She whispered. "Haruka!" Tearing her arms free from the two blonde Senshi, she bolted out of the ruined room and down the hallway, shouting her love's name again and again.

"Here!" It was Pluto's voice, and it sounded a little strange. Neptune hurried down a flight of stairs, hearing the others following her. Just down the hall, a door hung limply on one of it's hinges, and Sailor Pluto stood before it. She turned to Neptune, her mouth twitching. "She's here...she's fine...but..." Neptune rushed into the room, barely listening. She stopped dead in her tracks, and she heard the others do the same as they came up behind her.

There was Sailor Uranus, as nobody had ever seen her. She was wearing a pink and white party dress that belonged on a child at least a decade younger, all frills and ruffles, though the fit seemed perfect. Her cheeks were beet red and she glared at everyone as if daring them to say anything.

Michiru stopped for a mere instant, however, before flinging herself into her loves arms. "Haruka..." She breathed, pressing her lips to the other girl's a passionate kiss. She felt her love's strong arms tighten around her as she returned the kiss. "I was so worried..." She murmured.

"Hey, I'm okay." Uranus said softly. "It's probably a good thing you showed up when you did, though. I think she was getting bored with the tea party."

"Oh, so that's why you're..."

"Yes." Uranus said, cutting her off with an embarrassed look. Neptune smiled.

"Don't be so embarrassed. You look adorable." She looked back at the others. "How is Rei?"

"She seems fine." Tuxedo Kamen said. "Mercury is still looking after her."

"We should go see her." Neptune said, slipping her hand into Uranus'. "She's the real hero here...and when she comes to, she should be better than ever...the knife is gone." A ragged cheer arose from the tired group, and they started back to the devastated room.

"When you take that off, be careful." Neptune whispered to Uranus as they led the way up the stairs. "I might be able to use it later."

Uranus' eyes twitched, and she looked suspiciously at her lover. "Don't even think about it." She warned. Neptune just smiled serenely, tightening her hand slightly. Mercury suddenly appeared at the head of the steps.

"We should go right away." She said, gesturing for the group to turn around. Sailor Mars came into view, laughing, and everyone cheered.

"Go, go!" She shouted. "We don't have a lot of time!" The smell of smoke filled the stairwell, and an orange glow appeared overhead.

"What did you do?" Sailor Moon called out.

"Well, I had to make sure everything still worked, didn't I?" Mars shouted, still laughing.

"You pyro!" Sailor Moon called back, but she was laughing too. They all fled the building, which was coming aflame quite nicely. Once they were safely away, Sailor Mars was tackled by all of the Inner Senshi in a massive hug. The rest of the group watched, smiles on all their faces. Mars looked over at them, beaming, and then started to stare.

"Uranus? Why are you wearing that?" Everyone began laughing, and with a sullen blush, Uranus couldn't help but join in.

-  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was a fun chapter to write, but it needed more than a few rewordings...some of the dialogue still seems a little awkward to me. But I hope you all enjoy it!


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